Ronaldo Nazario and his namesake Cristiano Ronaldo are two of the finest players ever to play the game, but Thierry Henry had a very definite response when asked who the 'real Ronaldo' was earlier this year.

A World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002, Ronaldo Nazario was simply frighteningly good in the late 1990s, thrilling fans at PSV and Barcelona with a unique combination of insane speed and pinpoint finishing.

That electric form was enough to convince Inter Milan to part with a world-record £25 million fee for the striker.

It was massive money for the time, but 'R9' potentially justified it having scored an impressive 47 goals in 49 games in his final season at Camp Nou.

READ MORE: Ronaldo, Adriano, Sturridge: 12 players whose careers were wrecked by injuries

The Brazilian was equally prolific in the early stages of his Inter career, before a ruptured tendon in his knee suffered in April 2000 meant he'd never quite be the same player again.

To those that got to enjoy him in his prime, though, Ronaldo Nazario was one of the best ever.

Ronaldo celebrates scoring a goal for Inter Milan
23 Oct 1999: Ronaldo of Inter Milan celebrates his goal against AC Milan during the Serie A match at the San Siro in Milan, Italy. Mandatory Credit: Claudio Villa /Allsport

23 Oct 1999: Ronaldo of Inter Milan celebrates his goal against AC Milan during the Serie A match at the San Siro in Milan, Italy. Mandatory Credit: Claudio Villa /Allsport

Fortunately for the footballing world, Cristiano Ronaldo had far better luck with injuries and has been recognised as one of the greatest players on the planet for the majority of the last two decades.

With a simply ridiculous 819 career goals to his credit, as well as five Ballon d'Or trophies on his mantlepiece, the 37-year-old Portuguese superstar is more than assured of his own place in history, despite a marked downturn in form in recent times.

Thierry Henry names the 'real Ronaldo'

Arsenal legend Henry was adamant about who he considers to be the 'real Ronaldo' while working as a pundit for CBS Sports back in February.

Video: Thierry Henry on Ronaldo Nazario v Cristiano Ronaldo

It all began with his colleague Jamie Carragher asking Henry if he'd ever asked to swap shirts with anyone during his career.

"Yeah, I did. Ronaldo. R9. The Real Ronaldo," replied Henry emphatically.

"The real one?" Carragher shot back, in a surprised tone.

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates a goal for Portugal

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - JUNE 23: Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal celebrates after scoring their side's first goal during the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship Group F match between Portugal and France at Puskas Arena on June 23, 2021 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Tibor Illyes - Pool/Getty Images)

"For me, how many Ronaldos did you know growing up?" Henry stated rhetorically.

"To call him the ‘real Ronaldo’ now when we’ve got Cristiano…" Carragher began, before being cut off by Henry.

The Frenchman then clarified: "Ronaldo is R9. Cristiano is Cristiano Ronaldo…"

Henry takes the subject so seriously that Micah Richards couldn't help but burst into laughter off-camera - and Carragher soon joined him.

It certainly won't be an opinion shared by everyone but, for Henry, it absolutely was not up for debate.


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