With twinkle toes the likes of which have never been seen before, a right foot that could boot a hole in the fabric of space-time, and a thirst for goals unwitnessed since the days of Pele, Cristiano Ronaldo was and is a force to be reckoned with in the world of soccer.
However, it’s not just his skills on the ball that make him a clear contender for G.O.A.T status, but his sheer pace!
With a top in-game speed of 33.95 kilometers per hour (21.1 miles per hour) recorded during Portugal’s showdown with Spain in the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Ronaldo is one of the fastest soccer players of all time.
His lightness of foot has helped make him the number one goal scorer in soccer history, with a current total of 819 goals, 26 ahead of Lionel Messi.
Is Cristiano Ronaldo The Fastest Soccer Player Of All Time?
While Ronaldo’s insane pace on the pitch is feared by defenders the world over, he’s not quite the fastest soccer player of all time.
That title is currently held by German center back and Real Madrid staple Antonio Rüdiger who has a top in-game speed of 36.7 kilometers per hour (22.8 miles per hour).
Falling just behind Rüdiger is 21-year-old Ukrainian soccer prodigy Mykhailo Mudryk and French winger Ousmane Dembélé who both clock in at 36.6 kilometers per hour (22.7 miles per hour).
Is Cristiano Ronaldo Faster Than Kylian Mbappé?
Kylian Mbappé terrorized defensive lines with his incredible pace at the Qatar World Cup, and his speed has also made him an indispensable asset at his club team PSG, but is Cristiano Ronaldo quicker?
Again, not quite. Mbappé tops out at around 36.08 kilometers per hour (22.4 miles per hour), meaning he’s 2.13 kilometers per hour quicker than Ronaldo.
Is Cristiano Ronaldo Faster Than Lionel Messi?
Cristiano Ronaldo is quite a bit faster than Lionel Messi, as the Argentine World Champion maxes out at 32.5 kilometers per hour (20.2 miles per hour), but if we take the height of these two players into consideration, Messi is perhaps the more impressive player when it comes to sheer speed.
Ronaldo stands tall at 6ft 2”, while Messi – partly due to a growth hormone deficiency in his formative years – reaches a modest 5ft 7”.
Besides, Messi’s magic on the pitch has rarely had much to do with going hell for leather. It’s his acceleration and dribbling that make him such a powerhouse on the pitch (and Ronaldo’s top rival for G.O.A.T status).
Is Cristiano Ronaldo Faster Than Ronaldo Nazário?
You knew this was coming! They may be from different generations, but there’s no reason we can’t pit them against one another in a blistering footrace! So, here we go, let the battle of the Ronaldos commence!
Ronaldo Nazário was known to be able to hit speeds of 33.9 kilometers per hour (21.06448 miles per hour), meaning he was fractionally slower than Cristiano Ronaldo, by 0.050005536768 kilometers per hour to be precise (0.031072 miles per hour).
But much like Messi, the beauty of Ronaldo Nazário’s play style wasn’t his outright speed, but the pace at which he could carry the ball while keeping it so close by and under control. It was as if the ball was tied to his cleats with a string!
He was even quoted once as saying he can run faster with a soccer ball than he can without (see also ‘How To Get Faster For Soccer‘).
Is Cristiano Ronaldo Faster Than Wayne Rooney (In His Prime)?
Wayne Rooney may not have been able to maintain his fitness for very long, but when he first broke out onto the scene for Manchester United, a top speed of 34.47 kilometers per hour (21.42 miles per hour) made him an utterly unstoppable force of nature.
Not even Ronaldo could keep up with his then-teammate.
Is Cristiano Ronaldo Faster Than Theo Hernandez?
Theo Hernandez is a massive asset to the defensive lines of the French national team and AC Milan. Known for his incredible speed, he’s capable of keeping some of the world’s best strikers and midfielders at bay, but is he faster than Cristiano Ronaldo?
Yep, with a top speed of 35.7 kilometers per hour (22.2 miles per hour), Theo Hernandez is a faster soccer player than Ronaldo, but whether he could hold his own against Ronaldo’s wizard-grade footwork is another question entirely.
Is Cristiano Ronaldo Faster Than Roberto Carlos?
At 5ft 6”, you wouldn’t expect the Brazilian wing back to be much of a contender in the speed department, but Roberto Carlos was as absolutely rapid! The question is, however, is Cristiano Ronaldo faster than Roberto Carlos was in his heyday?
With a top speed of 33.33 (recurring), Roberto Carlos falls just shy of Ronaldo in terms of pace, but, much like Messi, his comparatively diminutive form makes his top speed nigh on miraculous.
How Fast Is Cristiano Ronaldo’s Shot?
We all know that Cristiano Ronaldo’s shots are unparalleled when he’s on form, but just how fast can he kick the ball?
Well, according to game statistics, his fastest-ever shot struck the back of the net at an incredible 130.035 kilometers per hour (80.9 miles per hour).
While this is an amazing feat, it’s nowhere near the fastest shot in soccer history, nor is it the fastest among current players.
The all-time record is held by the formidable Brazilian midfielder Ronny Heberson, who once rattled the crossbar with a 221 kilometers per hour shot, yet, believe it or not, he never got the opportunity to represent his country in the national team.
Final Thoughts
There you have it — Cristiano Ronaldo’s top speed on the pitch was recorded during the 2018 World Cup in Russia when he hit 21.1 miles per hour, but in the grander scheme of professional soccer, this achievement is easily dwarfed.
Antonio Rüdiger is the current world champion when it comes to raw speed, and even though the difference in pace between this German defender and other members of the top ten fastest players list is minimal, that extra gear can have a BIG impact on the game!
Soccer is the most popular sport played and watched in the world, yet it is one rarely talked about in the United States. Why is this?
Hi, my name is Adrian Turner and I am a self-proclaimed soccer head.
Since I was young, I have always been fascinated by soccer, and any of the games I could find on the TV channels. There weren’t many games broadcast, so thankfully I could find more on the internet as I grew up.
I turned all of my friends onto soccer and we’d play into the evenings after school.
