To sum up, there aren't many ways to sum up, someone who has won the World Cup twice, been named FIFA World Player of the Year three times, and scored the most goals in World Cup finals history. But "Il Fenomeno" was the closest thing that global football could come up with for Ronaldo Luis Nazário De Lima, better known by his stage name Ronaldo. He was incredible and will live on as a legend of the sport.
Ronaldo’s Personal Life
Former Brazilian footballer Ronaldo Luis Nazário Lima is better known by his stage name, Ronaldo. On September 18, 1976, he was born in Itagui, Brazil.
In his early years of school, Ronaldo discovered his love of football. At 12, he quit school to focus on his soccer career. He became a member of the Ramos Indoor Soccer Club. In 1993, he made his professional football debut with Cruzeiro after joining the Sao Crustovao Football Club as a young youngster.
His debut game was against Caldense Club. He went on to score five goals against Bahia, which propelled him to prominence.
His Career
He began his career at Cruzeiro, where he made 14 appearances and scored 12 goals. He was a member of the Brazilian team that won the 1994 FIFA World Cup, but he didn't participate in the game. Ronaldo moved to Holland to play for PSV after the World Cup, where he scored 30 goals in just his first season. In 1997, "O Fenômeno" moved to Barcelona, where he made 37 appearances and scored 34 goals.
While at Barcelona, Ronaldo displayed incredible skill by dribbling past opponents as if they weren't there and scoring goals at will. An epileptic seizure prevented Ronaldo from helping Brazil win the 1998 World Cup despite having four goals previously throughout the tournament.
Ronaldo joined Inter after leaving Barcelona and stayed there until 2002 when he scored 49 goals.
Ronaldo scored two goals in the World Cup final against Germany in 2002 to help his team win the tournament and exact revenge for the final they had lost four years earlier. Ronaldo moved to Madrid in 2002, where he helped the club win the 2003 Spanish Championship. In 127 games with Madrid, he totaled 83 goals.
Ronaldo set the record for most goals scored at a World Cup when he scored his 15th goal at the 2006 edition. Brazil fell to France 1-0 in that tournament's quarterfinal round.
After a brief stint with AC Milan, his career concluded at Corinthians, where he won the Brazilian Cup. Ronaldo played his final farewell game with Brazil on June 7, 2011, for 15 minutes before leaving the field for a standing ovation. In 1996, 1997, and 2002, Ronaldo won the FIFA World Player of the Year award three times. He had tremendous ball control, weaving through defenders at a breakneck pace and scoring anytime he pleased. He continues to be among the best attackers ever.
