Rivaldo Says He'd Be the Best Player in the World If He Played Today

Brazilian legend Rivaldo has said he would be the best player in the world if he were still playing today.

The 1999 World Player of the Year went as far as saying he'd win the Ballon d'Or "two or three times" despite the presence of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at the pinnacle of today's game.

The former Brazil forward has made a return from retirement this year to help Brazilian second-division club Mogi Mirim, of which he is president, avoid relegation, and in a recent outing, he laid on an assist for son Rivaldinho in a 3-1 win over Macae.

Rivaldo clearly doesn't think much of the standard of today's game, telling Globo Esporte, per the London Evening Standard, that he'd score 50 goals a season if he were still playing:

Football today is very different from before. The quality was much better before, in Brazil and worldwide, such as Spain and Italy. You see how football is not good when [Lionel] Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the best today, are scoring 50 goals in the championship.

This shows that the level [of football] is lower. Even for the best in the world, you should not be scoring 50 goals in 38 games.

With a career-best tally of 34 goals in one season, Rivaldo's comments may need to be taken with a pinch of salt.

[h/t London Evening Standard]