The Career of Ronaldo Luis Nazario De Lima
BORN on 18th September 1976, Brazilian footballer Ronaldo has become one of the world’s most recognisable footballers since making his professional debut in 1993.
Representing Barcelona, Real Madrid and both Milan clubs in an illustrious career, the forward announced his retirement today after eighteen successful years in the game. Compiling a haul of domestic titles, European trophies and international honours, Ronaldo is widely considered as one of the greatest football of his team his era.
To pay homage to the three-time FIFA World Player of the Year, here’s a look at the eleven outstanding moments of his career.
Unused World Cup substitute
Beginning his football career at youth levels in Brazil, Ronaldo was aided in his football development by World Cup winning legend Jarzinho. The former Brazilian international saw Ronaldo’s potential as a youngster and encouraged league side Cruizero to bring him into their academy.
Twelve goals in fourteen games as a seventeen year-old convinced national selectors to take the forward to the 1994 World Cup. The form of strikers Romario and Bebeto meant that a young Ronaldo remained on the bench throughout the competition but his time would come.
PSV Headline Maker
Returning from USA ’94, Ronaldo was wanted by PSV Eindhoven in Holland. Advised by international colleague Romario, the Brazilian starlet moved to the Dutch league and was an instant hit. Scoring 30 goals in his first season in the Eredivisie, Ronaldo managed an incredible 42 goals in 46 games, and won the Dutch Cup in 1996.
Cup Winners Cup Winner
During his spell at Holland, Ronaldo began to attract attention from Europe’s top clubs. In 1996 Spanish giants Barcelona were willing to pay £15m to bring his services to the Nou Camp.
A move to La Liga began another phenomenal goal-scoring season for Ronaldo with 34 goals in 37 games meaning the Brazilian was able to help lead the Catalan side to UEFA Cup Winners Cup glory. Fittingly, Ronaldo scored the winner in the final, and four days later he was part of the Barca team which earned domestic glory by winning the Copa Del Rey.
At the age of 20, Ronaldo became the youngest player to win the FIFA Player of the Year award, and to cap a great season, he also finished runner-up in the Ballon D’Or reckoning.
Inter Milan Beckons
Despite an excellent record in his first season at Barcelona, Ronaldo’s spell in Spain turned out to be a brief one as problems arose in the renegotiations of his contract. Paying the buyout cause in his deal, Inter Milan brought the Brazilian striker to Italy for a then world record fee of £19million.
His first season with the Italian side turned out to be one filled with huge success as he helped win the UEFA Cup. He won FIFA Player of the Year for the second time in 1997, and also went one better than the previous season by winning the Ballon D’Or.
World Cup Mystery
Now established on the international stage, Ronaldo went to the World Cup in 1998 with big things expectations piled upon his shoulders. As part of the Brazilian national team he scored a goal in his side’s 3-0 victory over Morocco and then added two a Second Phase game against Chile. A semi-final match-up with Holland brought the best out of Ronaldo as he scored in a 1-1 draw with Brazil winning on penalties and advancing to face hosts France in the final.
Ronaldo’s first appearance on the biggest stage internationally turned out to be an ill-fated one as he suffered a convulsive fit during the night before the game. He was removed from the team before the match but following a huge mystery surrounding his absence, the Brazilian was reinstated in the team, later discovered to be at his own request.
Mario Zagallo started with the striker who was expected to star in the game, but following all the drama Ronaldo was on the periphery of the game and suffered an injury as France won 3-0.
Injury Fears Hamper Comeback
Adapting his game to play in the Italian game, Ronaldo finished second in the league’s goal scoring charts in his first campaign with Inter, and the year after the World Cup he finished second as FIFA Player of the Year and third for European Football of the Year. At this point in his career, Ronaldo was widely regarded as the greatest footballer on the planet.
During a game against Lecce in 1999, Ronaldo felt his knee buckle underneath him and was forced to limp of the pitch. Medical examinations confirmed that the injury would require surgery after rupturing a tendon in his knee. The striker made a comeback in April 2000, but his return was short-lived after injuring his knee for the second time.
Two operations and months of rehabilitation later, Ronaldo was ready to return to the game, and appeared in the final months of the 2001/02 season.
2002 World Cup redemption
Desperate to put the nightmare and mystery surrounding the 1998 World Cup campaign behind him, Ronaldo was at the forefront of Brazilian performances as his side beat Turkey, China and Costa Rica in the group stages.
A goal against Belgium and an excellent performance against England saw Ronaldo in his second World Cup semi-final. Another goal against Turkey in the game gave the four-time cup winners and their striker a chance for redemption against Germany in the 2002 final.
Having been expected to star in the final four years previous, Ronaldo put in the show stealing performance everyone predicted by scoring the two goals in 2-0 a victory over Germany
Failing to score in only one game throughout the competition helped Ronaldo to win the Golden Boot Award for the World Cup’s top scorer.
Madrid Move and Standing Ovations
Starring for his country on the biggest stage in the world earned Ronaldo another big move, this time back to Spain with Real Madrid. Joining the archrivals of his former club Barcelona was seen as a bold move, but the lure of becoming a Galactico proved to be a huge part of the Brazilian’s motivation. His first season at the club was largely a success; Ronaldo scored 23 league goals as Real won the 2003 La Liga Title and the Spanish Super Cup.
The crowing moment of the maestros Madrid career came in the following season’s Champions League as the Brazilian striker scored a superb hat trick against Manchester United at Old Trafford to eliminate the red devils.
Ronaldo’s performance earned a standing ovation from all side’s of the United crowd who acknowledged that they had been taken apart by a striker on top of his game. From that high, Ronaldo’s Madrid career began to spiral towards an unfortunate low however. In 2003-4 Real failed in their mission to win the Champions League, La Liga and the Copa Del Ray, and despite winning the Pichichi award for top goal scorer in Spanish football the following season, Ronaldo found himself on the bench after Madrid signed Ruud Van Nistelrooy.
The Brazilian soon became largely unfavoured by new coach Fabio Capello due to injuries and weight issues. The downturn in Ronaldo’s status at Madrid soon meant that the striker was set to be on the move again.
History Maker
Putting domestic troubles behind him for the summer months, Ronaldo headed to the World Cup in Germany hoping to inspire Brazil to retaining the trophy he had won for them four years earlier.
The Brazilian’s best form seemed to be missing in the opening two rounds as the green and gold beat Australia and Croatia. Supporters who saw him as overweight, lazy and slow jeered Ronaldo in both matches, but coach Carlos Alberto Parreira decided to keep faith with the striker; a decision which was soon justified.
In the final group stage game against Japan, Ronaldo scored his 13th and 14th World Cup goals, equalling a record by Gerd Muller. The striker also became the 20th different player to score at three different World Cups, and then went one step better in the following game against Ghana when finding the back of the net once more. The first strike in a 3-0 win over the African side gave Ronaldo his 15th goal, a new record at World Cup competitions, and meant he joined Jurgen Klinsmann as the second player to score at least three goals at three World Cups.
Return to Brazil
Falling out of favour with his club in Spain was enough to convince Ronaldo that the time to move on to pastures new had arrived. In January 2007 he chose to return to a familiar city, but with a different team. Having been a success at Inter Milan in the last 90’s, the Brazilian striker joined Inter’s rivals AC Milan in a deal which would give the title chasers some experience.
Despite scoring 9 goals in 20 games, Ronaldo suffered a bad injury against Livorno in February 2008, with Milan confirming that he had ruptured a knee-cap.
He was released by Milan at the end of the campaign, and returned to Brazil to train with Flamengo to recover from his latest injury. The club left the door open for him to sign for them should he wish; but Ronaldo made a surprise decision and chose to sign with Corinthians, this despite being a self-confessed fan of Flamengo.
His move helped Corinthians win Campeonato Paulista, and scoring 10 goals in 14 games he became an instant hero. Signing a new one-year deal after his first Brazilian Serie A season, Ronaldo announced that he would retire when his contract had expired at the end of the 2011/12 season.
Early Retirement
In February following Corinthians elimination from the 2011 Copa Libertadores, Ronaldo announced that he would retire from football admitting that his body had finally succumbed to the crippling injuries that had blighted his career. He said: “It’s very hard to leave something that made me so happy. Mentally I wanted to continue but I have to acknowledge that I lost to my body.”
Ronaldo finished his career recognized as one of the best players ever to grace the world stage.
A record of 247 goals in 343 games at club level as well as an international record of 62 goals in 97 games only begins to tell the story of such a gifted footballer.
FIFA World Player of the Year winner on three occasions and winning the European Footballer of the Year award in both 1997 and 2002 were his individual highlights, but with a career in which he won the Cup Winners Cup, the UEFA Cup, La Liga the Copa America and the World Cup twice, there is no doubt that this Brazilian will be sorely missed by football fans across the world.
To pay homage to the three-time FIFA World Player of the Year, here’s a look at the eleven outstanding moments of his career.
Unused World Cup substitute
Beginning his football career at youth levels in Brazil, Ronaldo was aided in his football development by World Cup winning legend Jarzinho. The former Brazilian international saw Ronaldo’s potential as a youngster and encouraged league side Cruizero to bring him into their academy.
Twelve goals in fourteen games as a seventeen year-old convinced national selectors to take the forward to the 1994 World Cup. The form of strikers Romario and Bebeto meant that a young Ronaldo remained on the bench throughout the competition but his time would come.
PSV Headline Maker
Returning from USA ’94, Ronaldo was wanted by PSV Eindhoven in Holland. Advised by international colleague Romario, the Brazilian starlet moved to the Dutch league and was an instant hit. Scoring 30 goals in his first season in the Eredivisie, Ronaldo managed an incredible 42 goals in 46 games, and won the Dutch Cup in 1996.
Cup Winners Cup Winner
During his spell at Holland, Ronaldo began to attract attention from Europe’s top clubs. In 1996 Spanish giants Barcelona were willing to pay £15m to bring his services to the Nou Camp.
A move to La Liga began another phenomenal goal-scoring season for Ronaldo with 34 goals in 37 games meaning the Brazilian was able to help lead the Catalan side to UEFA Cup Winners Cup glory. Fittingly, Ronaldo scored the winner in the final, and four days later he was part of the Barca team which earned domestic glory by winning the Copa Del Rey.
At the age of 20, Ronaldo became the youngest player to win the FIFA Player of the Year award, and to cap a great season, he also finished runner-up in the Ballon D’Or reckoning.
Inter Milan Beckons
Despite an excellent record in his first season at Barcelona, Ronaldo’s spell in Spain turned out to be a brief one as problems arose in the renegotiations of his contract. Paying the buyout cause in his deal, Inter Milan brought the Brazilian striker to Italy for a then world record fee of £19million.
His first season with the Italian side turned out to be one filled with huge success as he helped win the UEFA Cup. He won FIFA Player of the Year for the second time in 1997, and also went one better than the previous season by winning the Ballon D’Or.
World Cup Mystery
Now established on the international stage, Ronaldo went to the World Cup in 1998 with big things expectations piled upon his shoulders. As part of the Brazilian national team he scored a goal in his side’s 3-0 victory over Morocco and then added two a Second Phase game against Chile. A semi-final match-up with Holland brought the best out of Ronaldo as he scored in a 1-1 draw with Brazil winning on penalties and advancing to face hosts France in the final.
Ronaldo’s first appearance on the biggest stage internationally turned out to be an ill-fated one as he suffered a convulsive fit during the night before the game. He was removed from the team before the match but following a huge mystery surrounding his absence, the Brazilian was reinstated in the team, later discovered to be at his own request.
Mario Zagallo started with the striker who was expected to star in the game, but following all the drama Ronaldo was on the periphery of the game and suffered an injury as France won 3-0.
Injury Fears Hamper Comeback
Adapting his game to play in the Italian game, Ronaldo finished second in the league’s goal scoring charts in his first campaign with Inter, and the year after the World Cup he finished second as FIFA Player of the Year and third for European Football of the Year. At this point in his career, Ronaldo was widely regarded as the greatest footballer on the planet.
During a game against Lecce in 1999, Ronaldo felt his knee buckle underneath him and was forced to limp of the pitch. Medical examinations confirmed that the injury would require surgery after rupturing a tendon in his knee. The striker made a comeback in April 2000, but his return was short-lived after injuring his knee for the second time.
Two operations and months of rehabilitation later, Ronaldo was ready to return to the game, and appeared in the final months of the 2001/02 season.
2002 World Cup redemption
Desperate to put the nightmare and mystery surrounding the 1998 World Cup campaign behind him, Ronaldo was at the forefront of Brazilian performances as his side beat Turkey, China and Costa Rica in the group stages.
A goal against Belgium and an excellent performance against England saw Ronaldo in his second World Cup semi-final. Another goal against Turkey in the game gave the four-time cup winners and their striker a chance for redemption against Germany in the 2002 final.
Having been expected to star in the final four years previous, Ronaldo put in the show stealing performance everyone predicted by scoring the two goals in 2-0 a victory over Germany
Failing to score in only one game throughout the competition helped Ronaldo to win the Golden Boot Award for the World Cup’s top scorer.
Madrid Move and Standing Ovations
Starring for his country on the biggest stage in the world earned Ronaldo another big move, this time back to Spain with Real Madrid. Joining the archrivals of his former club Barcelona was seen as a bold move, but the lure of becoming a Galactico proved to be a huge part of the Brazilian’s motivation. His first season at the club was largely a success; Ronaldo scored 23 league goals as Real won the 2003 La Liga Title and the Spanish Super Cup.
The crowing moment of the maestros Madrid career came in the following season’s Champions League as the Brazilian striker scored a superb hat trick against Manchester United at Old Trafford to eliminate the red devils.
Ronaldo’s performance earned a standing ovation from all side’s of the United crowd who acknowledged that they had been taken apart by a striker on top of his game. From that high, Ronaldo’s Madrid career began to spiral towards an unfortunate low however. In 2003-4 Real failed in their mission to win the Champions League, La Liga and the Copa Del Ray, and despite winning the Pichichi award for top goal scorer in Spanish football the following season, Ronaldo found himself on the bench after Madrid signed Ruud Van Nistelrooy.
The Brazilian soon became largely unfavoured by new coach Fabio Capello due to injuries and weight issues. The downturn in Ronaldo’s status at Madrid soon meant that the striker was set to be on the move again.
History Maker
Putting domestic troubles behind him for the summer months, Ronaldo headed to the World Cup in Germany hoping to inspire Brazil to retaining the trophy he had won for them four years earlier.
The Brazilian’s best form seemed to be missing in the opening two rounds as the green and gold beat Australia and Croatia. Supporters who saw him as overweight, lazy and slow jeered Ronaldo in both matches, but coach Carlos Alberto Parreira decided to keep faith with the striker; a decision which was soon justified.
In the final group stage game against Japan, Ronaldo scored his 13th and 14th World Cup goals, equalling a record by Gerd Muller. The striker also became the 20th different player to score at three different World Cups, and then went one step better in the following game against Ghana when finding the back of the net once more. The first strike in a 3-0 win over the African side gave Ronaldo his 15th goal, a new record at World Cup competitions, and meant he joined Jurgen Klinsmann as the second player to score at least three goals at three World Cups.
Return to Brazil
Falling out of favour with his club in Spain was enough to convince Ronaldo that the time to move on to pastures new had arrived. In January 2007 he chose to return to a familiar city, but with a different team. Having been a success at Inter Milan in the last 90’s, the Brazilian striker joined Inter’s rivals AC Milan in a deal which would give the title chasers some experience.
Despite scoring 9 goals in 20 games, Ronaldo suffered a bad injury against Livorno in February 2008, with Milan confirming that he had ruptured a knee-cap.
He was released by Milan at the end of the campaign, and returned to Brazil to train with Flamengo to recover from his latest injury. The club left the door open for him to sign for them should he wish; but Ronaldo made a surprise decision and chose to sign with Corinthians, this despite being a self-confessed fan of Flamengo.
His move helped Corinthians win Campeonato Paulista, and scoring 10 goals in 14 games he became an instant hero. Signing a new one-year deal after his first Brazilian Serie A season, Ronaldo announced that he would retire when his contract had expired at the end of the 2011/12 season.
Early Retirement
In February following Corinthians elimination from the 2011 Copa Libertadores, Ronaldo announced that he would retire from football admitting that his body had finally succumbed to the crippling injuries that had blighted his career. He said: “It’s very hard to leave something that made me so happy. Mentally I wanted to continue but I have to acknowledge that I lost to my body.”
Ronaldo finished his career recognized as one of the best players ever to grace the world stage.
A record of 247 goals in 343 games at club level as well as an international record of 62 goals in 97 games only begins to tell the story of such a gifted footballer.
FIFA World Player of the Year winner on three occasions and winning the European Footballer of the Year award in both 1997 and 2002 were his individual highlights, but with a career in which he won the Cup Winners Cup, the UEFA Cup, La Liga the Copa America and the World Cup twice, there is no doubt that this Brazilian will be sorely missed by football fans across the world.