Legendary Italian manager Fabio Capello snubbed Cristiano Ronaldo when naming the top three footballers of all time. The 78-year-old’s managerial career is notable for his stints at AC Milan, Real Madrid and Roma. Having brought success to multiple teams, Capello was widely known for his strict and disciplined approach. During a riveting conversation with Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand, Capello named three football icons he thought were the best to play the sport. “My score is Pele, I played against him once, Maradona, Messi. And Ronaldo (Brazilian) just behind,” he said. A fan has shared the interview’s video on X (formerly Twitter). Former Madrid Coach Fabio Capello: “Best players are Pele, Maradona, and Messi” “Ronaldo just behind” “Brazilian Ronaldo”? “Yes, Brazilian Ronaldo” “Cristiano is a good player but not this level”. “These 3 make something you can’t understand” 🤷??? pic.twitter.com/hOQ711u4fE — johnny cortes (@johnnycortes) March 21, 2025 Fabio Capello further explained why he preferred Pele, Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi and Ronaldo Nazario over Cristiano Ronaldo. “Cristiano is a good player, but not at this level,” he said. “He [Cristiano Ronaldo] scores goals, but these three players that I said have extra imagination. They make something that you can’t understand,” he concluded. Capello has never minced his words when it comes to the Messi-Ronaldo debate. The Italian manager has praised the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner on numerous occasions over the years. Fabio Capello had previously revealed how he witnessed Lionel Messi’s brilliance for the first time in 2005 at Mundo Deportivo. “After 25 minutes of the match, I approached Frank Rijkaard and asked for the loan of Messi to Juve,” Capello said, as per multiple outlets. “I remember when I saw his name in the line-up. And from the start, I was blown away. That a player of his age could play like that, before 90,000 fans,” he added. As for Pele, Fabio Capello faced the three-time World Cup winner only once in his career. They went head-to-head in 1976 during a tournament created by the North American Soccer League. That football competition celebrated the United States’ 200th birthday, in which a veteran Pele lined up for Team America. Their squad featured the biggest NASL stars alongside Bobby Moore and Giorgio Chinaglia. Capello, on the other hand, appeared for an Italy side which comprised future World Cup winners Dino Zoff and Marco Tardelli. Fabio Capello had the opportunity to witness Diego Maradona’s brilliance up close. Serving as the head coach of AC Milan in the 1980s, Capello saw the Argentine lead Napoli to two Scudetti in 1986-87 and 1989-90.