[257] Ronaldo made a cameo appearance in Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001) and each film of the Goal! [134] The BBC's John Motson stated, "The scenes in the commentary box have been absolute mayhem and chaos. That is not to belittle Ronaldo's achievements in the second half of his career, when he scored eight goals in a single World Cup [in 2002] and became the first Ronaldo to receive a standing ovation at Old Trafford [in 2003], but it is the memory of the early years that puts mist in the eyes of grown men. [90] In 2019, FourFourTwo magazine named him the best player never to win the competition;[91] in 2020, Sky Sports ranked him the secondbest player (after Diego Maradona) never to win the Champions League or European Cup. "[224], In December 2021, Ronaldo bought a controlling stake in his boyhood club Cruzeiro. By the age of 23, he had scored over 200 goals for club and country, while also breaking the world transfer record twice. P. 174. [80] Departing Real Madrid having been the club's leading goalscorer for all of his four full seasons, Ronaldo thanked everyone except Capello, "I would like to thank the fans who've supported me all the time and thank all the teammates that I've had here and all the coaches I've had except one". Ronaldo starred alongside Romrio, dubbed the Ro-Ro attack, at the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup, helping Brazil win their first ever Confederations Cup title where he finished as the third-highest scorer with 4 goals, scoring a hat-trick against Australia in the final. [253][254] In 2017, Ronaldo's son, Ronald, was selected for the junior football team representing Brazil in the 2017 Maccabiah Games. [88] It was also the first time Milan's much hyped attacking trio of Kak, Alexandre Pato and Ronaldo, known as Ka-Pa-Ro, played together. Yokohama, Japan. If he scores 16 more, he would become the first player to score 100+ goals in the Premier League and LaLiga. "[233], In April 2008, Ronaldo was involved in a scandal involving three travesti prostitutes whom he met in a nightclub in Rio de Janeiro. "[269] He joined Barcelona in 1996 for a then world record transfer fee and at 20 years old, he was named the 1996 FIFA World Player of the Year, making him the youngest recipient of the award. [63] He also won an Intercontinental Cup in 2002 and Spanish Super Cup in 2003, scoring in both finals. [258] Archive footage of Ronaldo features in the music video "We Are One (Ole Ola)", the official song of the 2014 World Cup by Pitbull and Jennifer Lopez. [256] Simon Crerar of The Times listed Ronaldo's performance as one of the thirty-three funniest cameos in the history of the show. What stood out to all of us, from the moment we met Ronnie, was that he could do things which other players found very difficult and make them look easy. You'd be at a table with him and it'd be a judge sitting opposite talking to a politician with someone off the street listening in. Player Profile for Ronaldo in the Soccer World Cups. With this goal, he has now reached the top spot in the all-time list of men's goal scorers. We thought a modern construction of his 1998 boot would be a great commemoration of that moment. His reaction was the same. [182] Brazilian Football Confederation official Ricardo Teixeira stated that it was fitting that his final game should take place in Brazil while representing his nation. [240], "In the dressing room, I was sat between [Paolo] Maldini and Ronaldo, who asked me if I wanted to be part of his clan, showing me a copy of Playboy, or if wanted to be part of Kak's clan, who had a few church things in the dressing room. It's an astonishing feat for one of the world's greatest strikers. [197], "Ronaldo did things nobody had seen before. [49], After his move to Milan, Ronaldo joined the list of the few players to have played for both Inter Milan and A.C. Milan in the Derby della Madonnina, and is one of few players to have scored for both rival teams in the Milan derby game (for Inter in the 199899 season and for A.C. Milan in the 200607 season), the others being players such as Giuseppe Meazza, Zlatan Ibrahimovi, Enrico Candiani and Aldo Cevenini. 88 of his 414 goalsinvolved rounding the goalkeeper and tapping into an empty net, which is a staggering 21%. [186][187], On 13 December 2011 Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane played a charity match with their friends against former and current players of the German team Hamburg in the ninth edition of the Match Against Poverty series, which Ronaldo and Zidane established in 2003. It's an astonishing feat for one of the world's greatest strikers. The Brazilian scored 414 goals in 616 appearances for club and country throughout his career. [142] Ronaldo later reflected: "We lost the World Cup but I won another cup my life."[135]. [32], "He was physical perfection, and he seemed like a mythical figure. Maria Beatriz Antony gave birth to their first daughter, named Maria Sophia, in Rio de Janeiro, on 24 December 2008. [92] Ronaldo stated, "I live football with a passion that doesn't give me any peace for not winning the Champions League it's a trophy everyone would love to win. [33], Comparing his natural ability to Roger Federer, Paul MacDonald of Goal wrote, "there's a joy to be had watching something we know to be extremely difficult executed with considerable ease. [173] He then broke Mller's record in the Round of 16 match against Ghana by scoring his fifteenth-career World Cup goal. The Brazilian soccer legend has updated his Instagram bio to say that he's now the all-time leading goal scorer. [277], 19971999: World record transfer and Ballon d'Or win, 20022005: Ballon d'Or win and La Liga championship, Majority owner and president of Real Valladolid, Ronaldo: Manual de Vuelo (Brazil Documentary film) 1997, "The Global Art of Soccer" (2006). [157] Ronaldo was the first player to seek out German players to offer his condolences,[151] before he was congratulated by Pel when receiving his World Cup winners medal. They were the first to drop from the penalty box to pick up the ball in midfield, switch to the flanks, attract and disorientate the central defenders with their runs, their accelerations, their dribbling. [193] Ronaldo played in the UNDP's 11th Match Against Poverty on 4 March 2014 against a Zidane XI in Bern, Switzerland, with proceeds raised helping the recovery efforts in the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan. Scored 92 goals in 80 games during the 1981-82 season. [67], In the 200304 season, Madrid were on track to win the treble, until Ronaldo was injured towards the end of the season; they subsequently lost the Copa del Rey final, were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals to AS Monaco, and suffered a league form breakdown. The Portuguese soccer star has now scored 750 goals in his career, which is the most by any player in history. [100][101], Ronaldo trained with Rio de Janeiro based Brazilian club Flamengo during his recovery from knee surgery, and the club's board of directors said that the doors were open for him to join. He, together with Romrio and George Weah, reinvented the centre-forward position. Sheldon Souray's career high in goals scored with the man advantage is 20, which he reached twice during his time with the Dallas Stars. He was inventing things on the spot, so you can't guide him left or right because he's going to get out of these situations, no matter what". [118] He discovered he had hypothyroidism a condition which slows down metabolism and causes weight gain during tests with Milan in 2007. "[23] Asked to name the best player of his lifetime, Jos Mourinho said, "Ronaldo, El Fenomeno. Scored 51 goals in 79 games during the 1979-80 season. His mother states, "I always found him on the street playing ball with friends when he should have been in school. [237] Ronaldo's engagement to Maria Beatriz Antony was immediately halted,[238] but resumed shortly after. [264] Ronaldo also appears as the cover athlete on the Icon edition of the game. Later in 2002, he won the FIFA World Player of the Year award for the third time, and transferred from Inter to Real Madrid. [64] Ronaldo scored in a 21 home win over Juventus in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals, but injury crucially kept him out of most of the second leg defeat where Real were eliminated. [23][45] By the end of the 199899 season, he was appointed Inter Milan captain. [70] Three days later he helped to ensure Real's first league victory over Barcelona at the Nou Camp in 20 years when he scored the second goal in a 21 victory over his former club. [8] He played on the streets of Bento Ribeiro, a suburb of Rio de Janeiro. Kogan Page Publishers. The forward was nicknamed 'Fenomeno' in his playing days and it isn't hard to see why. 115 goals Since then, he has become the current all-time record goalscorer for the Portugal national team, and the highest overall men's international goalscorer in history, having scored 115 goals in 184 appearances. He was named player of the tournament in 1997, was the top scorer in 1999 and scored in the finals of both, against Bolivia in 1997 and Uruguay in 1999. He was ridiculously good. [37] His debut came on 27 July during the pre-season fixture against Manchester United. [167], At the 2006 World Cup, Ronaldo was part of a much-publicized "magic quartet" alongside Adriano, Ronaldinho and Kak. Then he scored 105 goals in 186 matches for Barcelona from 2013-2017 season. [25] The footage of the goal was later used in a Nike advert with a voiceover asking: "Imagine you asked God to be the best player in the world, and he listened to you",[25] and the goal was said to have been replayed 160 times on the main Spanish television channels in the 48 hours following the game. "[71] During the 200607 season, though Milan won the 200607 title, Ronaldo was cup-tied with Madrid and ineligible to take part. He starred in the 1996 Nike commercial titled "Good vs Evil" in a gladiatorial game set in a Roman amphitheatre. film trilogy, Goal! Their partnership was brief but it was inexplicably brilliant. At 21, he received the 1997 Ballon d'Or and remains the youngest recipient of the award. [50][75], While past his 1990s prime, Ronaldo still drew praise from his Madrid colleagues, with Zidane stating, "Without hesitation, Ronaldo is the best player I ever played with or against. [61] He was sidelined through injury until October 2002 which added to the fans anticipation. Roma a caccia del 4 posto", "Maradona And Ronaldo Best Ever - Maldini", "He and Ronaldo Give Inter a Dynamic Duo: For Vieri, One More Change of the Jersey", "Ronaldo (Luz (Ronaldo) Nazrio de Lima) Milan and Brazil", "Ronaldo's kneecap exploded, it was by his thigh', "Ronaldo fights the flab and dodgy knees", "Ronaldo e la fascia da capitano: "Giusto che la porti Zanetti" e in serata il s di Cuper", "Serie A in the '90s: when Italian football ruled the world", "Ronaldo Nazario da Lima Interview. Ronaldo, as so many of those who looked up to him acknowledge, changed what it is to be a centre-forward. [71][203] According to his physiotherapist Nilton Petrone, Ronaldo was vulnerable to injury due to a medical condition combined with his explosive running. Ronaldo, however, has never transferred directly between rival clubs. "[143] Despite his sub-par performance in the final due to his seizure hours earlier, Ronaldo was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament for his performances leading up to the final, and finished the tournament as the joint-third highest scorer. [222], In September 2018, Ronaldo became the majority owner of La Liga club Real Valladolid after buying a 51% controlling stake in the club for 30 million. He was slim and powerful, skillful, fast and deadly. Although both are entering the final stretch of their careers, they continue to deliver. [115][116][117] In an emotional press conference on 14 February, he cited pain and hypothyroidism as the reasons for his premature retirement. Ronaldo only played 300-plus minutes in his second season at Milan due to recurring injury problems and weight issues. ", Joaquin Hidalgo, director of Nike's Brazilian marketing unit, 1998. [235] Ronaldo claimed that upon discovering that they were legally male, he offered them $600 to leave. Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi have had longer careers. [272], Ronaldo has appeared in a series of Nike commercials. Messi and Ronaldo have now passed his total, but he doesn't recognize them yet. In the 1990s, in his physical pomp, in his free-flowing prime, there was nothing remotely like him. [228], In December 1999, Ronaldo married Brazilian footballer Milene Domingues, at the time pregnant with the couple's first son, Ronald, who was born in Milan, on 6 April 2000. [64], In the second leg of Real Madrid's Champions League quarter-final, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick against Manchester United at Old Trafford, knocking the English team out of the competition. [82] On 26 January, Ronaldo successfully completed his medical tests at the Milanello training complex under the supervision of club doctors, and the transfer was completed on 30 January. ", Alexandre Pato on meeting Ronaldo at A.C. Milan in 2007. [8], Ronaldo has been sponsored by sportswear company Nike since the early part of his career. In his first season, the Egyptian showed his goalscoring touch and went on to become Premier League top scorer. Awesome. [245], In a 2011 interview with the BBC, former Real Madrid teammate Steve McManaman spoke about Ronaldo's personality. In addition, Karim Benzema had netted 57 times at that age while Robert Lewandowski had scored 44. [21] With PSV, Ronaldo won the Dutch Cup in 1996 and he was Eredivisie top scorer in 1995. [94][95] The closest that he came to Champions League success was in 2003 when he helped Real Madrid to the semi-finals, in which they lost to Juventus. So he just had this amazing aura, where everyone wanted to join him. [239] On 6 April 2010, Maria Beatriz Antony gave birth to their second daughter. At his fearsome peak for PSV, Barcelona and Inter Milan he was arguably the most dangerous striker the world has ever seen. He is a five-time winner of the Ballon d'Or award. . [183], Ronaldo played for 15 minutes in a match that ended with a Brazilian victory with a goal from Fred. Actually, thinking about it now, one aspect of his game stood out from all of his qualities in my 5-year-old-brain: his ability to score goals. [19], Ronaldo joined PSV after the 1994 World Cup. [104] Ronaldo responded that playing for Corinthians was the only option open to him. What allowed him so many chances at an open net was his close control when one on one with the keeper. [154] The match-winner against Turkey in the semi-final, with the winning goal a toe-poke finish with little back-lift while on the run a finish he learned while playing futsal in his youth the final whistle saw fans behind the goal hoist huge white letters to spell out his name akin to the Hollywood sign. Leo Messi was on just 42, 11 more than Zlatan Ibrahimovic. [164] Prior to the tournament, questions were asked of his weight and fitness,[165][166] but was declared fit for Brazil's opening match with Croatia. [184] Fred celebrated his goal with Ronaldo's famous 'finger wag' celebration along with his Brazilian teammates. The real Ronaldo is the greatest No.9 in history", "Veltroni intervista Cannavaro: Scudetto al Napoli. [98] Teammate Clarence Seedorf stated, "My heart stopped beating because it was like watching a repeat of the injury he suffered playing for Inter Milan against Lazio [in 2000]. [230], Despite his fame a 2003 poll by Nike listed him the world's most famous sportsperson (and third most famous person overall) Ronaldo is protective of his privacy, including with teammates, stating in an interview with The Telegraph, "each [player] has his own private life, and no one thinks about anyone else's private life. Steve Hatch, Jim Taylor (2009). However, if we are talking strictly about talent and skill, nobody surpasses Ronaldo. At the end the game of Football is about. 12 of those goals came during his 14 World Cup appearances,. One of them, a solo goal against Compostela, is considered one of the most amazing goals in football. Ronaldo was introduced after 30 minutes, partnering 19-year-old Neymar in attack, and had three shots on target which were saved by the Romanian goalkeeper. "[77] Teammates for six months, Van Nistelrooy said, "Ronaldo was the best natural talent I ever played with. [21] He scored 30 league goals in his first season in the Netherlands, which included seven braces and a hat-trick against Utrecht. [250] On 11 December 2014, Ronaldo became a minority owner of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the North American Soccer League. "[141] However, shortly before kick off, after pleading that he felt fine and requested to play, Ronaldo was reinstated by Brazil coach Mrio Zagallo. Ronaldo was a beast. The head wants to go on but the body can't take any more. [85] In his first season, Ronaldo scored seven goals in 14 appearances. [268] Nicknamed R9 (his initial and shirt number),[200] Ronaldo is closely associated with the original Nike Mercurial R9 that was designed for him for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. "[211] Wanting to emulate Ronaldo growing up, Egypt and Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah opined, "The ability, the speed, the intelligence, he had everything". But in spite of scoring 49 goals in European competitions, Ronaldo never got to win the Champions League. How many goals did Pele score in his career? At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Ronaldo scored his 15th World Cup goal, a tournament record at the time. He revealed, "when I arrived in training with this haircut everybody stopped talking about the injury". "[217] Sid Lowe compared Ronaldo's ability to take on a number of opponents on a single run to what rugby player Jonah Lomu was doing in the same era. "Ronaldo, El Fenomeno, Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi have had longer careers, they have remained at the top every day for 15 years." "[30] Jos Mourinho, who worked as an interpreter at Barcelona, referred to Ronaldo as "the greatest player I have ever seen in my life", adding, "I have no doubts. See also Cristiano Ronaldo Wants to Leave Manchester United p. 138. ", "Ronaldo wins world player award for third time", "Laureus World Comeback of the Year 2003 nominees", "Ronaldo: "I didn't want to leave Real Madrid", "Brazil 3-1 Argentina: Ronaldo hit a hat-trick of penalties as Brazil sank arch-rivals Argentina 3-1 in a World Cup qualifier", "Kaka's spectacular run with Milan and Brazil overshadowed by his successors", "Brazil give magic quartet another chance to shine", "At the 2006 World Cup Ronaldo was jeered for being overweight and too slow", "Japan 1-4 Brazil: Brazil striker Ronaldo became the joint highest scorer in World Cup history as he scored twice against Japan", "Official FIFA Awards: Zidane wins adidas Golden Ball award", "World Cup Rewind: Ronaldo sets all-time goals world record", "World Cup rewind: Miroslav Klose beats Ronaldo's all-time goals record", "Kaka: I prefer Brazilian Ronaldo over Cristiano", "Ronaldo makes emotional farewell appearance for Brazil against Romania", "Ronaldo laughs off misses in his final match for Brazil", "Neymar surpasses Ronaldo as Brazil's second-highest goalscorer", "Ronaldo Lus Nazrio de Lima - Goals in International Matches", "Hamburg to host 2011 Match Against Poverty ", "Blic Sport | Ronalda ne naputa oseaj za gol /video/", "Zinedine Zidane And Ronaldo Reunite For Charity Match", "Match Against Poverty: Brazil's Ronaldo stars", "Didier Drogba to join Ronaldo and Zidane in 12th annual Match Against Poverty", "World Cup 2018: Ronaldo and Robbie Williams star in opening ceremony", "Ronaldo, Romario Reinvented Striker's Role, Says Thierry Henry", "Ronaldo e Batistuta. By the age of 23, Ronaldo had scored over 200 goals for club and country. [24] In his two seasons at the club he scored 54 goals in 58 games. Ronaldo started his career at Cruzeiro and moved to PSV in 1994. [173], With two goals against Japan in the third match, Ronaldo became the 20th player to score in three World Cups and also equalled the all-time World Cup finals scoring record of fourteen, held by Gerd Mller (Ronaldo scored at France 98, Korea/Japan 2002 and Germany 2006). The collective was important. Maradona was born on August 4th, 1960 in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Went from a Wild Idea to a Cult Movie Franchise for Football Fans", "Pitbull Debuts 'We Are One (Ole Ola)' Ft. J.Lo For Brazil World Cup (AUDIO)", "Brazilian Ronaldo Featured In Snickers Campaign", "World Cup 2014: Brazil furious over Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro in Italian football colours", "Pirelli e le metamorfosi della pubblicit", "FIFA 18 to include 95-rated icon Diego Maradona as EA Sports adds footballing legend to Ultimate Team", "FIFA 18 release date and pre-order price info for PS4 and Xbox One in UK", "Nike Celebrates 15 Years Of Mercurial With Recreated '98 El Fenomeno Boot", "Nike Pay Tribute to Iconic Boots Worn by Ronaldo With New Mercurial Puro Fenomeno", "Kylian Mbapp Just Leaked an Amazing New R9-Inspired Nike Mercurial Superfly VI", "Inside the greatest ad EVER: Nike's brilliant 1998 Brazil airport commercial by those who made it", "A lighter shoe, cooler kits, a faster ball, a Secret Tournament every touch counts", "Cantona hosts World Cup with a difference", "Risk everything! But I know that one day they will be broken. Sometimes there'd be 20 to 30 people sitting at meal times with him. For my generation he was what Maradona or Pel were for the previous ones. [267], "Ronaldo is the most global of all athletes today, bar none. [53] Since his Inter teammate Javier Zanetti had replaced him as the team captain during his absence, he eventually inherited the captain's armband in late 2001. Sid Lowe of Sports Illustrated states, "That season Ronaldo was unstoppable. ", Brazilian defender Cafu on 17-year-old Ronaldo. His Brazil teammate Romrio having played for PSV from 1988 to 1993 advised Ronaldo to move to the club. 2. ", Fabio Capello on Ronaldo's weight issues at Madrid. This victory, for our fifth world title, has crowned my recovery and the work of the whole team. [26] Speaking to The New York Times regarding Ronaldo later that season, Robson said "I don't think I've ever seen a player at 20 have so much". [141] Steinberg states that Ronaldo "sleepwalked" through the final, which also saw him injured in a collision with French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez. [134] The starting line up without Ronaldo was released to a stunned world media. It was extraordinary. "In 1997, Barcelona played against PSG in Rotterdam and Ronaldo's goal, 1-0. At age 17, he was the youngest member of the Brazilian squad that won the 1994 FIFA World Cup. "[114], In February 2011, after Corinthians were eliminated from the 2011 Copa Libertadores by the Colombian team Deportes Tolima, Ronaldo announced his retirement from football, concluding an 18-year career. Scored 71 goals in 80 games during the 1982-83 season. [68][69] During that second season at the club, Ronaldo scored one of the fastest goals in the club's history when he netted after 15 seconds in a league match against Atltico Madrid at the Bernabu on 3 December 2003. [102][103] On 9 December, however, Ronaldo signed a one-year deal with Flamengo's league rival Corinthians. An inquest was launched in Brazil, with team doctor Ldio Toledo telling the commission "imagine if I stopped Ronaldo playing and Brazil lost. [274] In the run-up to the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan, he starred in Nike's "Secret Tournament" commercial (branded "Scopion KO") directed by Terry Gilliam, appearing alongside football players such as Thierry Henry, Fabio Cannavaro, Francesco Totti, Ronaldinho and Hidetoshi Nakata, with former player Eric Cantona as the tournament "referee". How many goals did R9 scored for Real Madrid? Did Ronaldo r9 win Champions League? "[98] Ronaldo was released by Milan at the end of the season, as his contract expired and was not renewed. [27], During the 199697 season, Ronaldo scored 47 goals in 49 games in all competitions, with his goal celebration invariably the same with his arms outstretched like the statue of Christ the Redeemer that watches over his native Rio de Janeiro. [58][59], Having signed for Real Madrid for 46million, his jersey sales broke all records on the first day. "[124] Dubbed the "three R's", Ronaldo starred in a formidable attack alongside Rivaldo and Ronaldinho, and the trio were named in the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team. The Portuguese striker scored a penalty kick in the 70th minute to give Manchester United a 3-2 victory. [67] He finished the season as La Liga's top scorer with 25 goals and received the Pichichi Trophy for a second time, despite Madrid losing the league title to Valencia. "Injuries killed a career that could have been even more incredible, but the talent that that 19-year-old boy had was something incredible. [41] Ronaldo was given his most recognizable nickname, Il Fenomeno, by the Italian press while playing there. [241], In December 2010, Ronaldo and his family moved to a new mansion in So Paulo. Investing 400 million reais ($70 million) in the club, Ronaldo stated he wants to "give back to Cruzeiro and take them where they deserve to be. Profile with general and detailed stats and data that include National Team, total games, goals and cards and full list of matches played. "[93] In 2011, Paul Wilson wrote in The Guardian, "Ronaldo was unlucky in his timing or his choice of club for there is no doubt that at his very best he would have walked into any club in the world. [8] Ronaldo's agents accepted an offer of 50,000 from the club, and he scored four goals on his youth team debut. He is also the highest goal scorer in the history of the World Cup with 15 goals. [175] Brazil, however, were knocked out by France 10 with a goal by striker Thierry Henry in the quarter-finals. In fact, the total count with Santos FC could be 1091 goals and 1282 goals for his . [158] Grard Saillant, the French surgeon who operated on Ronaldo's knee, was in the crowd as his guest, and stated after the game; "This gives hope to everyone who is injured, even those who aren't sportsmen, to see that by fighting you can make it. [185] After the first half ended, Ronaldo made a farewell speech to the crowd. Perhaps the most complete striker in the recent past, Ronaldo has also won the World Cup twice with Brazil. [236] One of the three attempted to blackmail Ronaldo, while the other two admitted to lying about having sex with him. "[22], Nick Miller, match reporter for The Guardian, writes, "What's striking about Ronaldo in that first year at PSV is how complete he looks, even as a skinny teenager. [63], "He got the standing ovation he deserved from the crowd. [25] scar Garca, Ronaldo's teammate that season, stated, "Back then, he was all fibre and muscle. [145] The parliamentary inquiry was unable to find any wider conspiracy, although the Brazilian public remained unconvinced. The boy was born after a brief relationship between Ronaldo and Michele Umezu, a Brazilian waitress who Ronaldo first met in Tokyo in 2002. 9 his own. In 1996, Nike signed Ronaldo to a 10-year contract and to a lifetime endorsement deal worth over $180 million. Every time you see a striker who is expected to hold the ball up, beat players, win headers, shoot from range, drop deep, do everything a striker can possibly do it might be worth remembering him. Ronaldo, the original Ronaldo, inspired a phalanx of imitators, players we see on our screens every weekend. He eventually came good, though, and following Gareth Bale's then-record transfer. I don't think there was anybody in the stadium who didn't stand up, and I count myself in that as the opposition coach. His stepover was a form of hypnosis, and his signature trick, the elastico, could certainly have come from a computer screen. This makes the relationship between the kneecap and the femur a bit unstable. The next year, he won the award after recording 21 points (5G/16A) in 38 games. Whenever he wanted to turn it on he could, on any stage, in any stadium". "[146], "I've said before that my big victory was to play football again, to run again and to score goals again. Corinthians made an offer that will let me continue my career. In 1997, Inter Milan broke the world record fee to sign Ronaldo, making him the first player since Diego Maradona to break the world transfer record twice. [144] The nature of the incident set off a trail of questions and allegations which persisted for years, with Alex Bellos writing in The Guardian, When Ronaldo's health scare was revealed after the match, the situation's unique circumstances lent itself to conspiracy theories. Ronaldo in his prime was able to do that better than anyone who has ever played the game. [43] Ronaldo scored a trademark goal against Lazio in the 1998 UEFA Cup Final. He was turned down by Flamengo, the team he supported as a boy, after missing practice due to an inability to afford the fare for the hour-long bus ride. Ronaldo and prolific Fiorentina striker Gabriel Batistuta were the two best strikers in Serie A, with their duels the most anticipated in Italy. [145] Reporting for CNN, Don Riddell wrote, "It's one of the great mysteries of our time: not the Loch Ness Monster, Stonehenge or the Lost City of Atlantis; it's the case of the missing striker not so much a whodunit, more a kind of a what the heck happened? Planet Sport runs through some of his key career stats: 3 - the record number of World Cups won by Pele, in 1958, 1962 and 1970. , the Egyptian showed his goalscoring touch and went on to become Premier League and LaLiga his lifetime, Mourinho! [ 184 ] Fred celebrated his goal with Ronaldo 's engagement to Maria Beatriz Antony gave birth to first! Of men & # x27 ; s then-record transfer fans anticipation in the quarter-finals Ronaldo became a minority of. Allowed him so many of those goals came during his 14 World Cup, has! Meeting Ronaldo at A.C. Milan in 2007 173 ] he also won the has! Nike commercial titled `` Good vs Evil '' in a Roman amphitheatre Milan in 2007 [ 184 Fred. Chances at an open net was his close control when one on one with the BBC John... ; Or award is n't hard to see why sponsored by sportswear company Nike since the early part of 414... Romrio having played for 15 minutes in his boyhood club Cruzeiro brief but was! Brazilian victory with a goal from Fred Bassett: England Manager ( 2001 ) and each film of the Lauderdale. In Buenos Aires Province, Argentina trademark goal against Lazio in the all-time leading goal scorer in the minute... 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