Staying in Europe, Cristiano Ronaldo’s career is also outstanding, winning seven league championships with Manchester United, Real Madrid and Italian giant Juventus combined with five Champions League titles, four in Madrid, one with Man U. Ronaldo would be my pick for the best modern equivalent to Brady, albeit, still not an airtight comparison. Even playing with elite talent his entire career, Ronaldo has always been the focal point of every major European team he’s been on, something Messi needed a few years to develop, while Ronaldo did so in his native Portugal.
What makes up the difference for me from the disparity of elite talent Ronaldo played with compared to Brady, were the early expectations placed on him. Ronaldo was immediately handed Manchester United’s No. 7 jersey, a kit that carries legendary status at Old Trafford with David Beckham, George Best and Eric Cantona donning it before him. His production didn’t skyrocket until 2006, but he was rarely invisible in games either. A quarterback never hides and Brady was the most visible player in the NFL since 2003.
