Ronaldo is the greatest player of all time, says Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Anyone who has been following the career of AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will expect him to say that there is no one greater than him on the football pitch. However, it turns out that the Swedish star also knows how to swallow some humble pie. In a recent interview, he revealed that he thinks Ronaldo Nazario is the GOAT or the greatest of all time.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's fans will be up in arms about the declaration, as they have been banging heads about this question for the past several years. Other names in the fray include Pele and the late great Diego Maradona.

However, for Ibra, there can be no one else. Marca quoted him telling Discovery Channel that the GOAT is "Ronaldo, El Fenomeno."

"He's the best of all time. For me, that Ronaldo is football, the way he moved. He's the greatest player in history, without a doubt," he said.

Seen as one of the greatest players to ever take the pitch himself, Ibrahimovic knows that his decades of experience gives him a better understanding of what it takes to be the very best. He shared his thoughts on how much the game has changed and how social media has altered the way players are perceived.

"Today young players play five minutes and are seen as great. I'm glad to be from the old school. Social networks have changed everything, and players are seen as champions now despite having done little," he said.

At 39, Ibrahimovic has seen the game evolve and he thinks that younger players need to achieve a lot more before being hailed as great players. He also weighed in on the role that elite athletes are playing in society.

The Swede thinks that it is not appropriate for sporting heroes to dip their toes into politics and social issues. In particular, he pointed out NBA star LeBron James. "He's phenomenal at what he does, but I don't like it when people with status are also in politics. It's a mistake people make when they become famous," he said.