I’m faster than Ronaldo, Mbappé, Henry: Obafemi Martins

Former Super Eagles forward, Obafemi Martins, has claimed he was faster than some of football’s most celebrated speedsters, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, and Kylian Mbappé, during his prime.

Martins made this bold statement during an interview with ESPN at the CAF Awards held in Morocco on Monday. When asked to compare his pace with other football stars, both past and present, the former Inter Milan striker confidently backed his legendary speed.

Known for his electrifying pace during his career, Martins was often a nightmare for defenders, earning a reputation as one of the fastest players on the pitch. His comments have sparked debates among football enthusiasts, revisiting some of his breathtaking performances.

When quizzed about Arsenal legend Henry, Martins confidently stated, “I’m faster than him,” before adding that he was “way faster” than the likes of Ronaldo, Mbappe, Kyle Walker, Arjen Robben and Gareth Bale.

The 40-year-old also claimed superiority in pace over Mohamed Salah, Brazilian legend Ronaldo Delima, Leroy Sane, Adama Traore and Theo Walcott, responding with “I’m faster than him” for each player mentioned.

Martins, who scored 18 goals for Nigeria, cheekily added that he possessed better ball control than Robben while insisting that the Brazilian Ronaldo was aware of his superior speed.

The former Newcastle United striker challenged doubters to verify his claims with his former teammates at Inter Milan.

“There’s no player on this list faster than me,” Martins declared.

“Go back to Inter Milan and ask about me. There’s no way.”

Martins scored 201 goals during his illustrious career, where his blistering pace became his trademark at clubs including Inter Milan, Newcastle United, Wolfsburg, Rubin Kazan, Birmingham City, Levante, Seattle Sounders and Shanghai Shenhua.