Bruno Fernandes Named 5 Five Greatest Athletes Ever and Left Out Messi

When recently asked to name the greatest athlete of all time, Portuguese and Manchester United international Bruno Fernandes chose his compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo. In doing so, he did two things.

Firstly, he quashed any long-held speculation that the two did not see eye to eye. Some had interpreted a dig at Ronaldo after Fernandes’ post-match interview following the Manchester derby win over Man City in 2023 when he talked about the United side were now a proper team.

But he also well and truly nailed his colours to the mast when it comes to the endless debate about who is better when it comes to Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, with the Argentine not even making Fernandes’ list. Here are his all-time top five athletes.

Cristiano Ronaldo is The Greatest

Bruno Fernandes has benefited from Ronaldo’s play

“In Portugal, we have Cristiano,” Bruno Fernandes told the press (via Sportskeeda) when asked about the best athlete of all time. Any perceived iciness between the two seems to have vanished, with Ronaldo reportedly urging Al-Nassr to sign his international team-mate.

Then, in Portugal’s group game with Turkey during Euro 2024, Ronaldo gave up an opportunity when clean through on goal in order to square the ball to an unmarked Fernandes. When ranked at the top of such lists, people point to Ronaldo’s longevity, as much as his titles – his first professional goal was for Sporting Lisbon 22 years ago, at a time when Formula One’s Michael Schumacher and the USA’s 100-metre champion Maurice Greene were considered the greatest. Like the others on this list, Ronaldo has a burning desire to succeed.

Michael Jordan

Arguably, basketball’s greatest ever player

Anyone who has watched the Netflix documentary The Last Dance, will have noticed similarities between the relentless drive of basketball star Michael Jordan and Ronaldo. There’s been much debate about how Jordan would fare in the NBA today, but like all great athletes, Jordan transcended his sport, with his name even becoming a household brand in itself in the shape of Nike Air Jordans. Many of his quotes could make a self-help book and in many ways, it was his ferocious determination to improve and win that makes him an all-time great.

Tiger Woods

Mentality monster an all-time great

Tiger Woods is without doubt one of the most famous athletes in modern sports history, although he hasn’t, as yet, won as many Majors as Jack Nicklaus – who has 18 compared to Tiger’s 15.

And yet, when sports people think of golf over the last 25 years, it is impossible not to conjure up images of Tiger Woods and his incredible play on the golf course, who has always had great skill, combined with a deep reservoir of mental strength. This is a quality he has drawn upon time and again to find a way to win when all seems lost.

Michael Phelps

The most decorated Olympian of all time

It would be all too easy for critics of Fernandes to draw comparisons with his occasional histrionics on the pitch with the great swimmer Michael Phelps, as he began a race by diving into the water. But Phelps’ achievements in swimming are unparalleled.

He won an astonishing 23 gold medals in the Olympics alone between 2000 and 2016, making him the most decorated Olympian of all time, breaking world records as he went. Interestingly enough, Phelps has also cited the aforementioned Jordan as a sporting great and an idol of his, stating that “he changed the sport of basketball.”

Roger Federer

A player who won everything in tennis with style and grit

It’s interesting that Fernandes mentioned Roger Federer among his all-time top five athletes, not because the Swiss wasn’t a truly magnificent athlete, but because both Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic have both surpassed Federer’s 20 Grand Slam title wins.

There has been much debate over who is the greatest ever tennis player, but Federer’s inclusion in Fernandes’ list goes some way to show that along with his ability to win, it was how Federer did it during his career – with this stoic grace and seemingly unflappable nature that stands the test of time. It just goes to short that being a great is about how you present yourself, as well as about what you win.