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Brazilian footballer (born 1976)

Nazário and the second or paternal family name is de Lima. In this Portuguese name , the 🌈 first or maternal family name isand the second or paternal family name is

Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima (Brazilian Portuguese: [ʁoˈnawdu 🌈 ˈlwiz nɐˈzaɾju dʒi ˈlimɐ]; born 18 September 1976), known as Ronaldo or Ronaldo Nazário, is a Brazilian former professional footballer 🌈 who played as a striker. He is the owner of Brasileiro Série A club Cruzeiro and owner and president of 🌈 Segunda Division club Real Valladolid. Nicknamed O Fenômeno ('The Phenomenon') and R9, he is considered one of the greatest players 🌈 of all time. As a multi-functional striker who brought a new dimension to the position, Ronaldo has been an influence 🌈 for a generation of strikers that have followed. His individual accolades include being named FIFA World Player of the Year 🌈 three times and winning two Ballon d'Or awards.

Ronaldo started his career at Cruzeiro and moved to PSV in 1994. 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. 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. At 21, he received the 1997 Ballon d'Or and remains the youngest recipient of the award. By the 🌈 age of 23, Ronaldo had scored over 200 goals for club and country. However, after a series of knee injuries 🌈 and recuperation, he was inactive for almost three years. Ronaldo joined Real Madrid in 2002 and won the 2002–03 La 🌈 Liga title. He had spells at AC Milan and Corinthians before retiring in 2011, having suffered further injuries.

Ronaldo played for 🌈 Brazil in 98 matches, scoring 62 goals and is the third-highest goalscorer for his national team. At age 17, he 🌈 was the youngest member of the Brazilian squad that won the 1994 FIFA World Cup. At the 1998 FIFA World 🌈 Cup, Ronaldo received the Golden Ball as the player of the tournament after he helped Brazil reach the final, where 🌈 he suffered a convulsive fit hours before kick-off. He won the 2002 FIFA World Cup, starring in a front three 🌈 with Ronaldinho and Rivaldo. Ronaldo scored twice in the final and received the Golden Boot as the tournament's top goalscorer. 🌈 This achievement, viewed as "redemption" for what occurred at the previous World Cup, saw Ronaldo named the 2002 FIFA World 🌈 Player of the Year, receive the 2002 Ballon d'Or, and for his return from injury, won the Laureus World Sports 🌈 Award for Comeback of the Year. At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Ronaldo scored his 15th World Cup goal, a 🌈 tournament record at the time. He also won the 1997 Copa América, where he became the player of the tournament 🌈 and the 1999 Copa América, where he was the top goalscorer.

Ronaldo was one of the most marketable sportsmen in the 🌈 world during his playing career. He was named in the FIFA 100 list of the greatest living players compiled in 🌈 2004 by Pelé and was inducted into the Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame, Italian Football Hall of Fame, Inter 🌈 Milan Hall of Fame and Real Madrid Hall of Fame. In 2024, Ronaldo was named in the Ballon d'Or Dream 🌈 Team, a greatest all-time XI published by France Football magazine. Ronaldo has continued his work as a United Nations Development 🌈 Programme Goodwill Ambassador, a position to which he was appointed in 2000. Ronaldo became the majority owner of Real Valladolid 🌈 in September 2024, after buying 51% of the club's shares. In December 2024, he bought a controlling stake in his 🌈 boyhood club Cruzeiro, investingR$70 million in the club.

Early life

Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima was born on 18 September 1976 in 🌈 Itaguaí as the third child of Nélio Nazário de Lima Snr. and Sônia dos Santos Barata.[6][7] Ronaldo has a brother, 🌈 Nélio Jr.[7][8] His parents separated when he was 11, and Ronaldo dropped out of school shortly afterward to pursue a 🌈 career in football.[9] He played on the streets of Bento Ribeiro, a suburb of Rio de Janeiro. His mother states, 🌈 "I always found him on the street playing ball with friends when he should have been in school. I know, 🌈 I lost my battle."[9] He joined the Social Ramos futsal team at the age of 12 and led the city's 🌈 youth league in scoring with a record 166 goals in his first season which included scoring 11 of his team's 🌈 12 goals in a single game.[7][9] Crediting futsal for developing his skills, Ronaldo has said, "futsal will always be my 🌈 first love."[10][11][12] His coach from Social Ramos, Alirio Carvalho, says: "What was special about Ronaldo was his attitude. It was 🌈 as if he had come from the moon. Nothing disturbed him, nothing overawed him, nothing threw him off his game."[13]

Spotted 🌈 by former Brazilian player Jairzinho, who was coaching São Cristóvão, Ronaldo played for the São Cristóvão youth team.[14] Under the 🌈 guidance of coach Alfredo Sampaio, he progressed quickly through the ranks, playing for the clubs' under-17 and under-20 teams while 🌈 only 15.[13] Ronaldo's agents in Brazil, Reinaldo Pitta and Alexandre Martins, signed him as a 13-year-old. Pitta stated, "We saw 🌈 right away that he could be something different than most other players."[9] Recognized as a child prodigy, Jairzinho recommended the 🌈 then 16-year-old to his former club Cruzeiro.[15]

Club career

Cruzeiro

Ronaldo quickly attracted attention from big clubs, and his agents rejected offers from 🌈 Botafogo and São Paulo. 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.[9][16] Jairzinho saw Ronaldo's potential and helped get 🌈 him a move to Cruzeiro.[9] Ronaldo's agents accepted an offer of €50,000 from the club, and he scored four goals 🌈 on his youth team debut.[13]

Three months after arriving at Cruzeiro, Ronaldo made his professional debut on 25 May 1993 against 🌈 Caldense in the Minas Gerais State Championship.[13][17] He came to national public attention on 7 November 1993, scoring five goals 🌈 in the game against Bahia.[18] His first senior goal came in a friendly during a tour of Portugal, scoring a 🌈 goal against Belenenses and generally impressing new coach Carlos Alberto Silva, enough to become a first team regular.[13] During the 🌈 tour, his performance against Porto impressed enough that they bidR$500,000, which was turned down by club president César Masci.[13] Upon 🌈 returning from the tour, he scored 20 goals, with eight coming in the Supercopa Libertadores, including a hat-trick against Chilean 🌈 side Colo-Colo in the first leg, and two in the second leg, before scoring a further three against Uruguayan team 🌈 Nacional, resulting in him being the tournament's top goalscorer.[13] Ronaldo scored 44 goals in 47 games with Cruzeiro, leading them 🌈 to their first Copa do Brasil in 1993, and the Minas Gerais State Championship in 1994.[19]

PSV

Ronaldo joined PSV after the 🌈 1994 World Cup. He was selected for the tournament despite being just 17, but did not play in any games. 🌈 His Brazil teammate Romário having played for PSV from 1988 to 1993 advised Ronaldo to move to the club.[20][21] On 🌈 28 August 1994, Ronaldo scored ten minutes into his debut against Vitesse, and scored a brace on his home debut 🌈 against Go Ahead Eagles.[21] He scored 30 league goals in his first season in the Netherlands, which included seven braces 🌈 and a hat-trick against Utrecht.[21] After scoring a hat-trick in PSV's game against Bayer Leverkusen in the 1994–95 UEFA Cup, 🌈 Leverkusen striker and Germany World Cup winner Rudi Völler stated in a post match press conference, "Never in my life 🌈 have I seen an 18-year-old play in this way."[20] His dribbles from midfield caught the attention of many in the 🌈 sport, with future Barcelona teammate Luis Enrique stating, "I'd seen him on television at PSV and thought ‘wow'. Then he 🌈 came to Barcelona. He's the most spectacular player I've ever seen. He did things I'd never seen before. We're now 🌈 used to seeing Messi dribble past six players, but not then. Ronaldo was a beast."[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. Everything that would come to define him – the lightning pace, the blurry stepovers, the implausible impression that 🌈 he was faster with the ball than without it, even the exceptional upper-body strength – was all there."[20] Rob Smyth 🌈 added, "In many ways Ronaldo was the first PlayStation footballer. His stepover was a form of hypnosis, and his signature 🌈 trick, the elastico, could certainly have come from a computer screen."[23] Ronaldo's second season was marred by a knee injury 🌈 which kept him out of most of the campaign, but he still averaged nearly a goal a game, scoring 19 🌈 goals in 21 appearances,[20] including a UEFA Cup four-goal haul against Finnish side MyPa.[21] With PSV, Ronaldo won the Dutch 🌈 Cup in 1996 and he was Eredivisie top scorer in 1995.[24] In his two seasons at the club he scored 🌈 54 goals in 58 games.[25]

Barcelona

During his spell at PSV, Ronaldo attracted the attention of both Inter Milan and FC Barcelona. 🌈 It was Barcelona that was willing to pay the then world record fee ofR$19.5 million, and he joined the club 🌈 on 17 July 1996.[25] According to manager Bobby Robson, he signed an eight-year contract, and would play up front alone.[26]

During 🌈 the 1996–97 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.[25] He 🌈 helped Barcelona to the 1996–97 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup title, capping the season with the winning goal in the final, 🌈 and to a win in the 1996 Supercopa de España.[27] He also won La Liga top scorer award in 1997 🌈 with 34 goals in 37 games, and the European Golden Shoe.[28] Until the 2008–09 season, Ronaldo remained the last player 🌈 to score more than 30 goals in La Liga.[28]

Ronaldo was at his physical peak at Barcelona, and many of his 🌈 47 goals involved him rounding the goalkeeper before slotting the ball into the net.[25] By January 1997, at 20 years 🌈 old, he was touted to be the next "great" in football, being viewed as the heir to Pelé, Diego Maradona, 🌈 Johan Cruyff[29] and Marco van Basten.[30] 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".[31] World Soccer magazine featured Ronaldo on its cover 🌈 in the same year under the headline 'The Best Ever?'.[30] Óscar García, Ronaldo's teammate that season, stated, "Back then, he 🌈 was all fibre and muscle. He was a perfect physical specimen. Such incredible power matched to his technical skills could 🌈 make him unstoppable."[32] José 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. Ronaldo is the best my eyes have seen",[33] and 🌈 in 2014 regarded him as the best player post-Diego Maradona.[34]

Arguably Ronaldo's most memorable Barcelona goal was scored at SD Compostela 🌈 on 11 October 1996; having received the ball inside his own half, he evaded a cynical tackle of the first 🌈 opponent with a drag back, before running away from another and ran towards goal, going past two more defenders in 🌈 the box with close ball control, before finishing into the bottom corner of the net.[25] The camera then cut to 🌈 manager Robson who had got up off the bench and clasped his head in disbelief at what he had seen.[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.[31] Half-way through the 🌈 season, Barcelona agreed in principle to extend his contract to 2006, doubling his salary in the process.[31] A hat-trick against 🌈 Valencia, the third goal of which saw him dissect two Valencia defenders before striking the ball into the net, saw 🌈 Barcelona fans waving white handkerchiefs as an expression of admiration for an exceptional performance. Sid Lowe of Sports Illustrated states, 🌈 "That season Ronaldo was unstoppable. He was slim and powerful, skillful, fast and deadly. He was ridiculously good."[35] At the 🌈 end of 1996, aged 20, Ronaldo became the youngest player to win FIFA World Player of the Year.[25]

Inter Milan

1997–1999: World 🌈 record transfer and Ballon d'Or win

Ronaldo's time at Barcelona lasted one season, as there were problems with the renegotiation of 🌈 his contract.[25] Barcelona thought there was an agreement in place, with Barcelona president Josep Lluís Núñez saying "He's ours for 🌈 life", but when the parties reconvened the following day, the agreement collapsed, with Núñez admitting: "It's all over, Ronaldo is 🌈 going".[25] Speaking to ESPN, Ronaldo stated, "I had reached an agreement to renew my contract just a month before that 🌈 season finished, but a week later the lawyer and the president of Barcelona agreed that that contract was absurd."[36] Paying 🌈 the buy out clause fee in his contract, Inter Milan signed him in the summer of 1997 for a then 🌈 world record fee ofR$27 million,[37] making him the second player, after Diego Maradona, to break the world transfer record twice.[23][25] 🌈 He signed a five-year contract with the Italians,[38] and was unveiled to 4000 Inter fans at their training ground.[39] His 🌈 debut came on 27 July during the pre-season fixture against Manchester United.[39][40] His competitive debut came on the opening day 🌈 of the 1997–98 season against Brescia.[41]

Ronaldo adapted to the Italian style of the game in his first season, finishing with 🌈 25 Serie A goals, and was named Serie A Footballer of the Year.[42] Ronaldo started to develop into a complete 🌈 forward. He began racking up assists, became first-choice penalty taker, taking and scoring freekicks. Halfway through his first season he 🌈 won FIFA World Player of the Year for the second time, and collected the Ballon d'Or.[43] During his time with 🌈 Inter, he scored several goals against city rivals AC Milan in the Derby della Madonnina. Ronaldo and prolific Fiorentina striker 🌈 Gabriel Batistuta were the two best strikers in Serie A, with their duels the most anticipated in Italy.[44] Ronaldo's goal 🌈 celebrations often saw his Inter teammates congratulating him by kneeling down and pretending to shine his shoe.[45] Ronaldo scored a 🌈 trademark goal against Lazio in the 1998 UEFA Cup Final. Running through defence to go one on one with Lazio 🌈 goalkeeper Luca Marchegiani, Ronaldo feinted to go right then left, without touching the ball, leaving Marchegiani on his backside, before 🌈 going right and slotting the ball into the net.[46] His Inter teammate Youri Djorkaeff stated; "Ronaldo was phenomenal. He proved 🌈 that he was a cut above the rest that season."[46] After the 1998 FIFA World Cup, where he was named 🌈 player of the tournament, Ronaldo was widely regarded as the best striker in the world.[23][47] By the end of the 🌈 1998–99 season, he was appointed Inter Milan captain.[48]

1999–2002: Recurring injury problems

"The knee injuries suffered at Inter Milan took away the 🌈 explosiveness that made him possibly the greatest young footballer of all time, a futuristic fusion of speed, strength and skill. 🌈 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." —Rob 🌈 Smyth, The Guardian.[23]

After two seasons with Inter, A. C. Milan defender Paolo Maldini viewed Ronaldo and Diego Maradona as the 🌈 two best players he ever faced, stating, "Ronaldo during his first two years at Inter was a phenomenon."[49] Inter had 🌈 high hopes going into the 1999–2000 season with their attack including Ronaldo and Italian stars Roberto Baggio and Christian Vieri.[50] 🌈 However, on 21 November, during a Serie A match against Lecce, Ronaldo felt his knee buckle and was forced to 🌈 limp off the field.[51] A medical examination confirmed that the striker had ruptured a tendon in his knee and would 🌈 require surgery.[51] During his first comeback on 12 April 2000, he played only six minutes during the first leg of 🌈 the Coppa Italia final against Lazio before suffering a complete rupture of the knee-cap tendons.[52][53] Ronaldo's physiotherapist Nilton Petrone stated, 🌈 "his knee-cap actually exploded", and called it "the worst football injury" he's ever seen.[54]

Ronaldo was forced to miss the entire 🌈 2000–01 season and much of the two seasons either side of it.[55] 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.[56] After two operations 🌈 and rehabilitation, Ronaldo came back for the 2002 World Cup, helping Brazil win their fifth World Cup title. Later in 🌈 2002, he won the FIFA World Player of the Year award for the third time, and transferred from Inter to 🌈 Real Madrid.[43] Ronaldo was given his most recognizable nickname, Il Fenomeno, by the Italian press while playing there.[9][23] His Inter 🌈 teammate Djorkaeff stated, "when we were training, we would practically stop to watch him. It was extraordinary."[57] Prior to his 🌈 November 1999 injury Ronaldo had registered 42 goals in 58 Serie A games, in what was the hardest league to 🌈 score in with the most advanced defensive strategies and the world's best defenders.[58][59] After five years he had played 99 🌈 games and scored 59 goals for Nerazzurri.[43] Ronaldo's performances at the club – especially the first two seasons before injury 🌈 – saw him named among the four inaugural inductees into the Inter Milan Hall of Fame in 2024.[60][61]

Real Madrid

2002–2005: Ballon 🌈 d'Or win and La Liga championship

Ronaldo won La Liga in his first season and received the Pichichi Trophy in his 🌈 second.

Having signed for Real Madrid for €46 million, his jersey sales broke all records on the first day.[62] Ronaldo was 🌈 part of the Galácticos era of global stars signed by the club every summer, which included Zinedine Zidane, Luís Figo, 🌈 Roberto Carlos and David Beckham.[63] He was sidelined through injury until October 2002 which added to the fans anticipation.[64] Ronaldo 🌈 scored twice on his debut against Alavés, the first 61 seconds after coming on.[64] That same reception was observed at 🌈 the final game of the season against Athletic Bilbao, where Ronaldo scored to finish his first season with 23 league 🌈 goals and seal La Liga title for 2003.[65] He also won an Intercontinental Cup in 2002 and Supercopa de España 🌈 in 2003, scoring in both finals.[65]

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.[66] Completing his hat-trick with a swerving strike 🌈 from 30 yards, Ronaldo was substituted off after 67 minutes, and was given a standing ovation from both sets of 🌈 fans.[67][66] Reflecting on the ovation given to him from the oppositions' fans, Ronaldo stated that "it remains a very beautiful, 🌈 very special moment".[68] Manchester United defender Wes Brown commented, "He was just unstoppable. A young Ronaldo [before a series of 🌈 injuries] would have been even more dangerous, but it shows how good a player he was. Whenever he wanted to 🌈 turn it on he could, on any stage, in any stadium".[67] Ronaldo scored in a 2–1 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.[69]

In the 2003–04 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.[70][71] 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 Atlético Madrid at the Bernabéu on 3 December 2003.[72] 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 2–1 🌈 victory over his former club.[69] 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.[28]

2005–2007: Final two seasons

Ronaldo taking a shot 🌈 for Real Madrid in 2005

In his final two seasons at Real Madrid, Ronaldo missed a number of games with injuries 🌈 and weight issues, and with the acquisition of Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2006, he grew further out of favour with 🌈 the manager Fabio Capello.[73] Speaking in 2024 on Ronaldo's weight issues and lack of fitness at Madrid, in addition to 🌈 his ability, Capello summed up the conflicting emotions he has with the Brazilian, "the most difficult player to handle was 🌈 the best I coached: Ronaldo, il Fenomeno."[74]

In four and a half seasons at the club, Ronaldo scored over a century 🌈 of goals, becoming the fifth foreigner at Madrid to achieve the feat after Argentine Alfredo Di Stéfano, Hungarian Ferenc Puskás, 🌈 Mexican Hugo Sánchez and Chilean Iván Zamorano.[75] Although the knee injuries before 2002 meant he "was robbed of the explosiveness 🌈 of his early years" (FourFourTwo magazine) by the time he signed for Real Madrid, Ronaldo was named by Marca as 🌈 a member of the "Best foreign eleven in Real Madrid's history".[52][76]

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. He 🌈 had such an ease with the ball. Every day I trained with him, I saw something different, something new, something 🌈 beautiful."[77] Michael Owen, who joined Madrid in 2004, acknowledged that he never got the chance to play with Ronaldo in 🌈 his prime when "he had absolute blistering speed and strength, mesmerizing foot speed, he was just a blur, he'd be 🌈 that fast", before adding, "even in training, he showed more than enough to convince me that I would have loved 🌈 to play with him at his peak."[78] Teammates for six months, Van Nistelrooy said, "Ronaldo was the best natural talent 🌈 I ever played with. His innate ability went beyond anything that I'd ever seen or played alongside."[79][80]

AC Milan

Ronaldo's Inter Milan 🌈 away jersey (left) and A.C. Milan away jersey (right) in the San Siro museum. He played for Inter from 1997 🌈 to 2002, and A.C. Milan from 2007 to 2008.

On 18 January 2007, it was reported that Ronaldo agreed terms with 🌈 AC Milan for a transfer of €8.05 million.[81] 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".[82] 🌈 Capello, who dropped him due to weight issues, commented, "I wish him the best of luck in doing what he 🌈 used to do which is being a great player."[82] On 25 January, Ronaldo flew from Madrid to Milan, with statements 🌈 on the club's website stating Ronaldo was in Milan for a medical, and that a meeting had been arranged with 🌈 Real Madrid officials to discuss and finalize his transfer to the Milanese club.[83] 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.[84] Wearing the number 99 jersey, he made his debut as a substitute on 11 February 2007 in the 2–1 🌈 victory over Livorno.[85] The next game at Siena, on 17 February, Ronaldo scored twice and assisted on a third goal 🌈 in his first start for Milan, as they won 4–3.[86] In his first season, Ronaldo scored seven goals in 14 🌈 appearances.[51]

Ineligible to play having signed for the club mid season, Ronaldo (standing sixth from left) celebrated the 2007 UEFA Champions 🌈 League triumph with his A.C. Milan teammates.

After his move to Milan, Ronaldo joined the list of the few players to 🌈 have played for both Inter Milan and AC 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 1998–99 season and for 🌈 AC Milan in the 2006–07 season), the others being players such as Giuseppe Meazza, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Enrico Candiani and Aldo 🌈 Cevenini.[87] Ronaldo is also one of the few players to have started for Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, which also 🌈 boasts a heated rivalry. Ronaldo, however, has never transferred directly between rival clubs. Ronaldo only played 300-plus minutes in his 🌈 second season at Milan due to recurring injury problems and weight issues.[88] Ronaldo's only goals in the 2007–08 season, besides 🌈 his goal against Lecce in pre-season, came in a 5–2 victory against Napoli at the San Siro, where he scored 🌈 an emotional double.[89] It was also the first time Milan's much hyped attacking trio of Kaká, Alexandre Pato and Ronaldo, 🌈 known as Ka-Pa-Ro, played together.[90]

Despite tremendous success over the past decade, Ronaldo never won the UEFA Champions League in his 🌈 club career.[91] In 2024, FourFourTwo magazine named him the best player never to win the competition;[92] in 2024, Sky Sports 🌈 ranked him the second–best player (after Diego Maradona) never to win the Champions League or European Cup.[93] 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."[94] 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."[73] During the 2006–07 season, though Milan won the 2006–07 title, Ronaldo was cup-tied with 🌈 Madrid and ineligible to take part.[95][96] 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.[97]

On 13 February 2008, Ronaldo suffered a severe season-ending 🌈 knee injury while jumping for a cross in Milan 1–1 draw with Livorno, and was stretchered off and taken to 🌈 a hospital.[98] The club confirmed after the match that Ronaldo had ruptured the kneecap ligament in his left knee. It 🌈 marked the third such occurrence of this injury, which he suffered twice to his right knee in 1999 and 2000.[99] 🌈 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]. His reaction was the same."[100] Silvio Berlusconi told Italy's RAI TV, "He 🌈 fears for his career. I called him last evening and told him to believe in himself. He has enormous physical 🌈 potential."[99] Ronaldo was released by Milan at the end of the season, as his contract expired and was not renewed.[101][102]

Corinthians

2009–2010: 🌈 Paulistão and Copa do Brasil

Ronaldo during his Corinthians unveiling in 2009, with Brazil president Lula handing him the jersey

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.[103][104] On 9 December, however, Ronaldo signed a one-year deal with 🌈 Flamengo's league rival Corinthians.[105] The announcement received much publicity in the Brazilian press about his choice of Corinthians over Flamengo, 🌈 since Ronaldo publicly declared himself a Flamengo fan.[101] Rio-based sports newspaper Lance! called Ronaldo a "phenomenal traitor", and some angry 🌈 fans burned Ronaldo shirts outside the Flamengo headquarters.[105] Ronaldo responded that playing for Corinthians was the only option open to 🌈 him. "I understand perfectly, I'm openly a Flamengo fan. But I was training with Flamengo for four months and didn't 🌈 receive any offer. Corinthians made an offer that will let me continue my career."[105]

Ronaldo played his first match for Corinthians 🌈 on 4 March 2009, a Copa do Brasil match against Itumbiara at Estádio Juscelino Kubitschek, in which he came as 🌈 a substitute for Jorge Henrique.[106] Ronaldo scored his first goal for Corinthians on 8 March 2009 in a Campeonato Paulista 🌈 match against Palmeiras.[107] Scoring eight goals in nine matches, his form led to calls for his return to the Brazil 🌈 national team – nearly 70% of respondents in a poll for the O Globo caixa lotofacil online newspaper voted that he should 🌈 be reinstated, with the country's president Lula also calling for his immediate return.[108] He scored twice in a 3–1 win 🌈 against local rivals Santos in the first leg of the state championship final, with Santos idol Pelé looking on from 🌈 the stands. His second goal, a chip over the Santos goalkeeper from 30 yards out, sent the Corinthians fans into 🌈 hysteria.[108] Ultimately, he helped Corinthians win the Campeonato Paulista with 10 goals in 14 games.[109]

Ronaldo scored in Corinthians 4–2 aggregate 🌈 defeat of Internacional in the final of the 2009 Copa do Brasil, helping the club win the trophy for the 🌈 third time (the second of his career), thus earning a spot in the Copa Libertadores 2010.[110][111] Following an injury lay 🌈 off he returned on 20 September in a match against Goiás, and a week later scored for Corinthians in a 🌈 draw against São Paulo FC. He finished the 2009 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A with 12 goals in 20 matches.[112]

2011: Retirement

Ronaldo 🌈 greets fans at the Emirates Stadium in London in March 2011, one month after announcing his retirement

In February 2010, Ronaldo 🌈 signed a contract extension with Corinthians that would keep him with the club until the end of 2011, and said 🌈 he would then retire.[113][114] Commenting on his weight issues following this announcement, Brian Homewood of The Guardian states, "Sadly, Ronaldo's 🌈 celebrity is now more of a draw than his skills on the pitch – Coldplay, Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres 🌈 and actor Hugh Jackman have all visited São Paulo to get a picture with the roly‑poly star."[115]

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.[116][117][118] In an emotional press conference on 14 February, he cited pain and hypothyroidism as the reasons 🌈 for his premature retirement.[119] He discovered he had hypothyroidism – a condition which slows down metabolism and causes weight gain 🌈 – during tests with Milan in 2007.[120]

The player said that the problem could be solved by taking hormones, but this 🌈 practice is forbidden in football and would lead to a suspension for doping.[121] However, doctors disagree that such treatment would 🌈 be confused with doping, with some publicly claiming that Ronaldo had lied when he said could not treat his hypothyroidism.[122] 🌈 Corinthians' own doctor said that Ronaldo did not have this disease. Hypothyroidism is usually associated with a slight weight gain 🌈 (eminently due to fluid accumulation, not fat gain) and difficulty getting rid of extra pounds.[123][124]

Ronaldo admitted his body had finally 🌈 succumbed to the crippling litany of injuries that had blighted his career: "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. The 🌈 head wants to go on but the body can't take any more. I think of an action but I can't 🌈 do it the way I want to. It's time to go."[125]

International career

Ronaldo (pictured with the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2024) 🌈 won the trophy with Brazil in 1997

Ronaldo made his international debut for Brazil on 23 March 1994 in a friendly 🌈 match in Recife against Argentina.[126] His first senior goal for Brazil came on 4 May 1994 in a 3–0 friendly 🌈 win against Iceland.[127] He went to the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States aged 17, but did not 🌈 play as Brazil went on to win the tournament.[128] He stated he was "overjoyed" at the experience.[129] He was then 🌈 known as Ronaldinho ("little Ronaldo" in Portuguese), because Ronaldo Rodrigues de Jesus, his older teammate, was also called Ronaldo and 🌈 later nicknamed Ronaldão ("big Ronaldo") to further distinguish them.[130] Another player, Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, now widely known as Ronaldinho, 🌈 was called Ronaldinho Gaúcho when he joined the Brazil team in 1999.[131][132]

Summer Olympics and Copa América

At the 1996 Summer Olympics 🌈 in Atlanta, Ronaldo used the name Ronaldinho again, since centre-back Ronaldo Guiaro, two years his senior, was one of his 🌈 teammates. Brazil went on to win the bronze medal.[133] Ronaldo also represented Brazil in the 1995 Copa América (finishing second) 🌈 and won both the 1997 and the 1999 editions of the tournament. 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.[134][135][136] He also took part in the friendly Tournoi de France in 1997, preceding the 1998 FIFA World Cup, 🌈 scoring a goal as Brazil became runners-up. Ronaldo starred alongside Romário, 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.[137] On the combination of Ronaldo and Romário, Will Sharp writes: "...to the 🌈 elation of all those fortunate enough to have watched them, they found themselves together, fated with the opportunity to forge 🌈 one of the most outrageous offensive pairings the game has ever seen. Their partnership was brief but it was inexplicably 🌈 brilliant."[138]

1998 FIFA World Cup

"The way he combined powerhouse athleticism with a poetic touch made for an awesome sight. In the 🌈 1990s, in his physical pomp, in his free-flowing prime, there was nothing remotely like him. By the time the 1998 🌈 World Cup came along his reputation had extended to the point of fully formed marvel. A happening." —Amy Lawrence, The 🌈 Guardian.[128]

Ronaldo entered the 1998 FIFA World Cup billed as the world's greatest player by reporters in the sport.[139] Jacob Steinberg 🌈 of The Guardian writes, "In 1998, no one was as ferociously talented as Ronaldo, whose supernatural mixture of power, pace 🌈 and skill had made him the player every child in the playground wanted to be; at the age of 21, 🌈 the hopes and dreams of a nation rested on his shoulders."[139]

Ronaldo scored four goals and made three assists en route 🌈 to the final,[140][141] scoring once and assisting Bebeto's goal in a 3–0 win against Morocco in the team's second group 🌈 stage match,[142] netting twice in a 4–1 win against Chile in the round of 16, set–up two goals in Brazil's 🌈 3–2 victory over Denmark in the quarter-finals,[140][143] and scored once in the 1–1 draw against the Netherlands in the semi-finals, 🌈 also netting Brazil's first penalty in the 4–2 shoot–out victory.[143][144][145] Hours before the final against France, Ronaldo suffered a convulsive 🌈 fit.[140] At first, he was removed from the starting lineup 72 minutes before the match, and the team sheet (with 🌈 Edmundo as his replacement) was submitted to the FIFA delegate.[139] The starting line up without Ronaldo was released to a 🌈 stunned world media.[139] The BBC's John Motson stated, "The scenes in the commentary box have been absolute mayhem and chaos."[146] 🌈 However, shortly before kick off, after pleading that he felt fine and requested to play, Ronaldo was reinstated by Brazil 🌈 coach Mário Zagallo.[139]

Stade de France (interior pictured), where Ronaldo performed in the 1998 World Cup Final despite suffering a convulsive 🌈 fit six hours before kick off

Ronaldo was the last Brazilian player out of the tunnel as the teams entered the 🌈 field. During the playing of the Brazil national anthem the camera focused on him throughout, with Ronaldo showing little emotion.[146] 🌈 Steinberg states that Ronaldo "sleepwalked" through the final, which also saw him injured in a collision with French goalkeeper Fabien 🌈 Barthez.[139] Zagallo admitted the fears over Ronaldo affected his team psychologically, and stated "for the whole of the first half 🌈 I was wondering whether to take him off", but feared a public outcry in Brazil had he done so.[139] Brazil 🌈 lost the match to hosts France 3–0.[147] Ronaldo later reflected: "We lost the World Cup but I won another cup 🌈 – my life."[140]

An inquest was launched in Brazil, with team doctor Lídio Toledo telling the commission "imagine if I stopped 🌈 Ronaldo playing and Brazil lost. At that moment I'd have to go and live on the North Pole."[139] Adrian Williams, 🌈 professor of clinical neurology at Birmingham University, said that Ronaldo should not have played, that he would have been feeling 🌈 the after effects of the seizure, and "there is no way that he would have been able to perform to 🌈 the best of his ability within 24 hours of his first fit – if it was his first fit."[148] 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.[149] 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. Here was the world's most famous sportsman, about to take part in the most important match of 🌈 his career, when he suddenly, inexplicably, fell ill. Was it stress, epilepsy, or had he been drugged?"[150]

A conspiracy surrounded Nike, 🌈 the sportswear company who sponsored Ronaldo and the Brazilian national team, with some in Brazil believing the company had forced 🌈 Ronaldo to play.[150] The parliamentary inquiry was unable to find any wider conspiracy, although the Brazilian public remained unconvinced.[150] 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?"[151]

2002 FIFA World Cup

Prior to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Ronaldo had barely 🌈 played since rupturing the cruciate ligament in his right knee in April 2000, and he missed Brazil's entire qualification campaign 🌈 where, in his absence, the team had been poor.[152] Tim Vickery writes, "Without Ronaldo, Brazil were a shambles, fortunate even 🌈 to get to the tournament. With him, it was a different story."[153] In a remarkable comeback from injury that had 🌈 threatened his career, Ronaldo led Brazil to their record fifth World Cup title, receiving the Golden Boot as top scorer 🌈 with eight goals.[154] Many publications regarded his personal triumph as "redemption" for what occurred at the previous World Cup.[128][154][155][156] Ronaldo 🌈 spoke about his obsession with lifting the World Cup trophy, having missed out in 1998. "I used to visualise the 🌈 trophy in front of my eyes and imagine what a wonderful feeling it must be to hold it up in 🌈 the air. It was a fabulous feeling actually to hold it in my hands and kiss it."[129] 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.[128][157]

Ronaldo pictured with an Israeli sports journalist on 29 June, the day before the 2002 World Cup Final

Ronaldo 🌈 scored against every opponent in the tournament except in the quarter-finals against England.[158] 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.[128][159] Much attention was on his haircut – in which his head was 🌈 shaved except the forelock – done as a deliberate distraction to shift media attention away from a leg injury. He 🌈 revealed that "when I arrived in training with this haircut everybody stopped talking about the injury".[160] In the final against 🌈 Germany in Yokohama, Japan, Ronaldo scored twice in Brazil's 2–0 win and tied Pelé's Brazilian record of 12 career World 🌈 Cup goals.[161] Ronaldo was the first player to seek out German players to offer his condolences,[155] before he was congratulated 🌈 by Pelé when receiving his World Cup winners medal.[162] Gérard 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. He's back to where he was; it's 🌈 hugely satisfying and I am very moved."[163]

Ronaldo received a number of accolades for his achievement, including the Laureus World Sports 🌈 Award for Comeback of the Year and the BBC World Sport Star of the Year, and in December 2002 he 🌈 dedicated his third FIFA World Player of the Year award to the medical team which helped him recover.[164][165][166] In a 🌈 2024 interview with Fox Sports, Ronaldo stated, "the best team I played in was the Brazilian one in 2002, we 🌈 felt that we could always score. It was a team without any vanity, or individuals. The collective was important."[167]

2006 FIFA 🌈 World Cup

Ronaldo mural in Berlin promoting Brazilian Joga Bonito style of play. The work was commissioned by Nike prior to 🌈 the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

On 2 June 2004, Ronaldo scored an unusual hat-trick of penalties for Brazil against arch-rivals 🌈 Argentina in a 2006 World Cup qualifying match, which put them top of the group.[168] With 10 goals in 15 🌈 games, including a goal against Venezuela in the last game to secure first place, Ronaldo was the South American top 🌈 scorer in Brazil's qualifying campaign.[169] Prior to the tournament, questions were asked of his weight and fitness,[170][171] but was declared 🌈 fit for Brazil's opening match with Croatia.[172]

At the 2006 World Cup, Ronaldo was part of a much-publicized "magic quartet" alongside 🌈 Adriano, Ronaldinho and Kaká.[173][174] The all-star Brazilian team was promoted as masters of Joga Bonito, "the beautiful game", which was 🌈 advertised by Nike before the tournament.[175][176] Although Brazil won their first two group games against Croatia and Australia, Ronaldo was 🌈 repeatedly jeered for being overweight and slow,[177] but coach Carlos Alberto Parreira kept him in the starting lineup.[178]

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 Müller (Ronaldo scored at France 98, Korea/Japan 2002 🌈 and Germany 2006).[178] He then broke Müller's record in the Round of 16 match against Ghana by scoring his fifteenth-career 🌈 World Cup goal.[65][179] With his third goal of the tournament, Ronaldo became only the second player ever, after Jürgen Klinsmann, 🌈 to score at least three goals in each of three World Cups.[180] Brazil, however, were knocked out by France 1–0 🌈 with a goal by striker Thierry Henry in the quarter-finals.[181] Ronaldo was awarded the Bronze Shoe as the third-highest goal-scorer 🌈 of the World Cup.[182]

Having been listed in Guinness World Records, Ronaldo stated, "I am proud of my career and of 🌈 the records I set. But I know that one day they will be broken."[183] Ronaldo and Klinsmann's shared record of 🌈 at least three goals in three separate World Cup finals was broken by German striker Miroslav Klose, who has a 🌈 record of at least four goals in each of three tournaments, having netted five at both the 2002 and 2006 🌈 finals, and four at the 2010 tournament.[184] Ronaldo finished with fifteen goals in nineteen World Cup matches, for an average 🌈 of 0.79 per game.[185] His teammate Kaká reflected, "Ronaldo is the best player I have ever played with. I have 🌈 seen il Fenomeno do things nobody else has ever done."[186]

Farewell match and sporadic appearances

Ronaldo playing in the Match Against Poverty 🌈 in Bern, March 2014

In February 2011, it was announced that Ronaldo would be given one last match for Brazil, a 🌈 friendly against Romania in São Paulo on 7 June 2011, five years after his last match with the national team.[187] 🌈 Brazilian Football Confederation official Ricardo Teixeira stated that it was fitting that his final game should take place in Brazil 🌈 while representing his nation.[188]

Ronaldo played for 15 minutes in a match that ended with a Brazilian victory with a goal 🌈 from Fred.[189] Fred celebrated his goal with Ronaldo's famous 'finger wag' celebration along with his Brazilian teammates. 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 Ciprian Tătărușanu.[190] After the first half ended, Ronaldo made a farewell speech to the crowd.[190] With 62 goals for 🌈 Brazil Ronaldo retired from international football as the second-highest goalscorer for his country, behind only Pelé (Neymar has since surpassed 🌈 Pelé, with Ronaldo the third-highest scorer as of September 2024).[191][192]

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.[193][194][195] In December 2012, Ronaldo and Zidane reunited for the 🌈 Match Against Poverty in Porto Alegre, Portugal, with the field littered with World Cup winners from France and Brazil, which 🌈 also saw 1982 World Cup star Zico (Ronaldo's childhood idol) turn out for Ronaldo's team.[196] In January 2013, Ronaldo was 🌈 named one of the six ambassadors of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.[197]

Ronaldo was chosen as a goodwill ambassador 🌈 for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 2000 as he had the highest global appeal among sportspeople, and he 🌈 accepted the role as he saw it as "an obligation" to help with causes around the world.[198] 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.[199] Joined by Didier Drogba in attack, Ronaldo 🌈 scored a hat-trick in the next year's match on 21 April 2024 in St Etienne, France, with proceeds going towards 🌈 the African countries most affected by the Ebola epidemic.[200][201]

On 14 June 2024, Ronaldo featured at the 2024 FIFA World Cup 🌈 opening ceremony held at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia.[202] He walked out with a child wearing a Russia 2024 🌈 shirt at the beginning, and returned at the end of the ceremony with the official ball of the 2024 World 🌈 Cup – Adidas Telstar 18 – which was sent into space with the International Space Station crew in March and 🌈 came back to Earth in early June.[202]

Style of play and legacy

Ronaldo is regarded as one of the greatest and most 🌈 complete forwards of all time.[65][73][203] Nicknamed Il (or O) Fenomeno (the phenomenon),[204] he was a prolific goalscorer, and despite being 🌈 more of an individualistic attacker, he was also capable of providing assists for his teammates, due to his vision, passing 🌈 and crossing ability.[73][205][206] He was an extremely powerful, fast, and technical player, with excellent movement, as well as being a 🌈 composed finisher.[207][208][209] Highly regarded for his technical ability, Ronaldo was able to use both feet, despite being naturally right footed,[210][211] 🌈 and is considered one of the most skilful dribblers in the game.[212] Ronaldo would also operate outside the penalty area 🌈 before running with the ball towards goal,[65][73] with Rob Smyth writing, "he played like every attack had a 10-second deadline.. 🌈 he would explode into life with no warning for defenders."[23] He frequently beat several players when dribbling at speed, and 🌈 excelled in one on one situations, due to his ball control, acceleration, agility, balance and nimble footwork in his prime.[65][73][203][212]

His 🌈 coach at Barcelona, Bobby Robson, commented: "Ronaldo could start from the halfway line and the whole stadium would ignite. He 🌈 was the fastest thing I've ever seen running with the ball. Had he managed to stay free of injury, he 🌈 had every chance of becoming the best footballer ever."[23] In one on one situations, Ronaldo often used elaborate feints to 🌈 trick and beat defenders and goalkeepers; he popularised the use of many football tricks such as the elastico and the 🌈 step over.[65][73][213] Sid Lowe of Sports Illustrated wrote, "When he was one on one with the goalkeeper, you knew that 🌈 he would score. He was so natural, so cool, so utterly in control. He would dip the shoulder, step over, 🌈 and bang!"[35]

"There were two Ronaldos: the one that returned after long-term injury in 2002 was a great goalscorer, but the 🌈 1990s version was a great everything. At his fearsome peak for PSV, Barcelona and Inter Milan he was arguably the 🌈 most dangerous striker the world has ever seen." —Rob Smyth, The Guardian.[23]

His Barcelona teammate Óscar García observed, "I'd never seen 🌈 anyone play football with such technical ability, creativity and precision at that incredible speed. 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. But he could also produce those things while running at an unbelievable, explosive pace."[32] With his 🌈 combination of speed, skill and finishing Ronaldinho called Ronaldo "the most complete striker there has ever been", a view echoed 🌈 by Zlatan Ibrahimović, who stated, "as a football player, he was complete. There will never, in my view, be a 🌈 better player than him."[214] The goalscoring idol of Lionel Messi, the Argentine states "Ronaldo was the best striker I've ever 🌈 seen. He was so fast he could score from nothing."[215] Wanting to emulate Ronaldo growing up, Egypt and Liverpool forward 🌈 Mohamed Salah opined, "The ability, the speed, the intelligence, he had everything".[216] Naming Ronaldo as an inspiration, Wayne Rooney stated, 🌈 "as an out-and-out forward he was probably the best."[217] The outstanding influence for a generation of strikers, from Karim Benzema 🌈 to Sergio Agüero, with Romelu Lukaku stating "he changed the dimension of a striker" and could "dribble like a winger, 🌈 run like a sprinter", Zlatan added, "nobody influenced football and the players who emerged as much as Ronaldo".[218]

Ronaldo, as so 🌈 many of those who looked up to him acknowledge, changed what it is to be a centre-forward. 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. He shifted boundaries, challenged convention, just 🌈 as much as Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have altered our perceptions of what a winger might be. Ronaldo, the original 🌈 Ronaldo, inspired a phalanx of imitators, players we see on our screens every weekend. But he also turned the game 🌈 so that it will always look just a little bit like him. More than most, he made that No. 9 🌈 his own. Rory Smith writing for ESPN on Ronaldo changing the game for strikers, March 2024.[218]

Emilio Butragueño stated, "Ronaldo creates 🌈 a goalscoring opportunity where it doesn't exist. Most strikers need the midfielders and their teammates, but he does not."[219] On 🌈 his speed of thought, Kaká said "For me the best players are those who are able to think of a 🌈 play and execute it quickest and in the best way possible, and Ronaldo was the best at that. The speed 🌈 of thought he had – and the speed he had to carry out his actions – were perfect."[219] Ronaldo was 🌈 also a strong and powerful player who could shield the ball from the opposition, with former Italian defender Alessandro Nesta 🌈 (who faced Ronaldo in a high-profile one on one duel in the 1998 UEFA Cup final which was billed as 🌈 "the best attacker against the best defender in Serie A") stating: "It was the worst experience of my career. Ronaldo 🌈 is the hardest attacker I've ever had to face."[220] Asked who was the toughest opponent of his career, Fabio Cannavaro 🌈 responded, "I have no doubt, Ronaldo, the phenomenon. For my generation he was what Maradona or Pelé were for the 🌈 previous ones. He was unmarkable."[221] 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.[35] Regarding Ronaldo's influence on the evolution of 🌈 the centre-forward role, French former forward Thierry Henry said: "He did things nobody had seen before. He, together with Romário 🌈 and George Weah, reinvented the centre-forward position. They were the first to drop from the 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."[222]

Ronaldo 🌈 holding his ankle in 2010. The injury was the latest for a striker who suffered serious knee injuries which hampered 🌈 his career in the 2000s.

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. Ronaldo in his prime was able 🌈 to do that better than anyone who has ever played the game."[223] A reliance on his superior innate ability is 🌈 given as a reason for his application in training often not being as high as his teammates – though his 🌈 knee issues may also have been a factor – with his Brazil teammate Emerson stating "Ronaldo felt he didn't need 🌈 to work as hard as us, that he could do in two days what the rest of us would take 🌈 ten days to do. And usually, he was right".[223] On his precocious talent – a talent which saw him become 🌈 the youngest FIFA World Player of the Year at age 20, and youngest Ballon d'Or recipient aged 21 – Rob 🌈 Smyth of The Guardian wrote in 2024, "Ronaldo is easily the best of the past 30 years, possibly ever. The 🌈 other Ronaldo and Messi were brilliant teenagers but had nothing like the same impact at that age. Only Pelé, Diego 🌈 Maradona and George Best can really compare."[23] Asked to name the best player of his lifetime, José Mourinho said, "Ronaldo, 🌈 El Fenomeno. Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi have had longer careers. They have remained at the top every day for 🌈 15 years. However, if we are talking strictly about talent and skill, nobody surpasses Ronaldo."[224] Mikaël Silvestre states, "I played 🌈 against [Lionel] Messi and I played with Cristiano at Manchester United, but he [Ronaldo] is something else in terms of 🌈 speed. Cristiano, maybe you can guess that he has three or four tricks he would use most of the time, 🌈 but Ronaldo, it was always something different. 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".[225] In 2024, Ronaldo was named in 🌈 the Ballon d'Or Dream Team, a greatest all-time XI published by France Football magazine.[226]

At his physical peak in the 1990s, 🌈 Ronaldo became severely affected by the knee injuries he suffered from late 1999 onward and the subsequent weight gain during 🌈 his inactivity, which limited his speed, fitness, and mobility.[73][207] According to his physiotherapist Nilton Petrone, Ronaldo was vulnerable to injury 🌈 due to a medical condition combined with his explosive running. "Ronaldo had a problem called trochlear dysplasia. This makes the 🌈 relationship between the kneecap and the femur a bit unstable. There is no direct surgery for that so the kneecap 🌈 keeps, for a lack of a better word, "dancing" on the femur. Ronaldo's injuries weren't because his body was weak, 🌈 but because of his explosive capacity. He didn't just run fast in a straight line, he also changed direction at 🌈 incredible speed. Ronaldo moved from left to right very fast...so it was obvious, by the way that he played, that 🌈 injuries were always a possibility".[54] Acknowledging "he was never quite the same" after his knee injury in 2000, with "his 🌈 pace and sheer brute force diminished in comparison to The Phenomenon" in the 1990s, FourFourTwo magazine ranked him the best 🌈 player at the 2002 World Cup, adding "he was still a cut above the rest" in the tournament.[227]

Club ownership

Real Valladolid

Ronaldo 🌈 in 2024 as the president of Real Valladolid, his first club as owner

In September 2024, Ronaldo became the majority owner 🌈 of La Liga club Real Valladolid after buying a 51% controlling stake in the club for €30 million.[228][229] At his 🌈 unveiling as the club's new owner at Valladolid city hall, Ronaldo stated, "I have gone through many stages in my 🌈 training in football to prepare for this. Football is all about passion. We want to build the best team possible 🌈 to compete while also giving information about our management with transparency."[229]

Cruzeiro

In December 2024, Ronaldo bought a controlling stake in his 🌈 boyhood club Cruzeiro. 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."[230]

Personal life

Ronaldo during a 2005 meeting at the Brazilian Ministry of Education

In 🌈 1997, Ronaldo met the Brazilian model and actress Susana Werner on the set of the Brazilian telenovela Malhação when they 🌈 acted together in three episodes.[231][232] Although they never married, they began a long-term relationship and lived together in Milan until 🌈 the beginning of 1999.[233]

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.[234] The marriage lasted four years. In 2005, Ronaldo became 🌈 engaged to Brazilian model and MTV VJ Daniela Cicarelli, who became pregnant but suffered a miscarriage; the relationship lasted only 🌈 three months after their luxurious wedding at the Château de Chantilly. The ceremony reportedly cost £700,000 (€896,000).[235]

A practicing Catholic, Ronaldo 🌈 donated a signed football to Pope Francis. Accompanied with a signed Brazil jersey from Pelé, it is located in one 🌈 of the Vatican Museums.

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. Or talks 🌈 about it."[68] By 2003 he was fluent in Portuguese, Spanish and Italian, and had a good understanding of English.[68]

In a 🌈 2005 interview with Folha de S.Paulo, Ronaldo revealed that, somewhat unexpectedly, he identified racially as white,[236] generating a wider conversation 🌈 about the complex role of race in Brazil.[237][238][239] Ronaldo's father, Nelio Nazario, stated, "He knows full well that he's black. 🌈 Actually, at the time, I thought it was some philosophy, something to that effect. Because he knows he's black."[238] According 🌈 to a study led by geneticist Sérgio Pena of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, most Brazilians often have 🌈 a misconception about their roots. "The maternal ancestry of the Brazilian white was one-third African, one third Amerindian, and one 🌈 third European. An individual who considers himself white may be genomically more African than an individual who considers himself to 🌈 be brown or black."[238]

In April 2008, Ronaldo was involved in a scandal involving three travesti prostitutes whom he met in 🌈 a nightclub in Rio de Janeiro.[240] Ronaldo claimed that upon discovering that they were legally male, he offered themR$600 to 🌈 leave.[241] One of the three attempted to blackmail Ronaldo, while the other two admitted to lying about having sex with 🌈 him.[242] Ronaldo's engagement to Maria Beatriz Antony was immediately halted,[243] but resumed shortly after and they married in the same 🌈 year. Maria Beatriz Antony gave birth to their first daughter, named Maria Sophia, in Rio de Janeiro, on 24 December 🌈 2008. In April 2009, the family moved to a new penthouse in São Paulo.[244] On 6 April 2010, Maria Beatriz 🌈 Antony gave birth to their second daughter. The girl, born in São Paulo, was named Maria Alice, and was born 🌈 exactly 10 years after her older brother Ronald.[245]

In December 2010, Ronaldo and his family moved to a new mansion in 🌈 São Paulo.[246] Also in December, Ronaldo took a paternity test and was confirmed to be the father of a boy 🌈 named Alexander, born in April 2005. The boy was born after a brief relationship between Ronaldo and Michele Umezu, a 🌈 Brazilian waitress who Ronaldo first met in Tokyo in 2002.[247][248] After the confirmation of his fourth child, Ronaldo stated on 🌈 6 December 2010 that he had had a vasectomy, feeling that having four children was enough.[249] Ronaldo and Maria Beatriz 🌈 Antony divorced in 2012.[250]

In a 2011 interview with the BBC, former Real Madrid teammate Steve McManaman spoke about Ronaldo's personality. 🌈 "He could go in a restaurant, and I could go in with him, and you're not just there with close 🌈 friends. He invites everybody. 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. So he just had this amazing aura, where everyone wanted to 🌈 join him. Sometimes there'd be 20 to 30 people sitting at meal times with him. He was a wonderful person. 🌈 Everybody would second that, no matter what club he played for."[251]

Ronaldo with his Innovation in Sport Award at the Web 🌈 Summit in 2024

Ronaldo was the co-owner of A1 Team Brazil, along with former F1 driver Emerson Fittipaldi.[252] Ronaldo co-owns the 🌈 sports marketing company 9INE, with his friend, mixed martial artist Anderson Silva, one of his clients.[253][254] A keen poker player, 🌈 in April 2013 Ronaldo became a member of PokerStars SportStar, and in 2014 he played a charity poker tournament against 🌈 tennis star Rafael Nadal.[255] On 11 December 2014, Ronaldo became a minority owner of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the 🌈 North American Soccer League.[256][257] In 2024, Ronaldo opened eight new branches of his youth football school – the Ronaldo Academy 🌈 – in China, the U.S. and Brazil, with 100 expected to be opened worldwide by 2024.[258][259] In 2024, Ronaldo's son, 🌈 Ronald, was selected for the junior football team representing Brazil in the 2024 Maccabiah Games.[260] The Maccabiah is described as 🌈 "the Jewish Olympics"; Ronald is not Jewish, but some participating countries have more relaxed rules about eligibility and Ronald is 🌈 a member of a Jewish football club.[260]

In January 2024, Ronaldo announced his fifth engagement, to model and businesswoman Celina Locks.[261][262] 🌈 Ronaldo and Locks went on to marry in July of the same year.[263]

Religion

A practicing Catholic, Ronaldo was baptized into the 🌈 faith in 2024.[264] He donated a signed football to Pope Francis in 2014, which is now housed in the Vatican 🌈 Museums.[265]

Media

Ronaldo appeared in The Simpsons season 18 episode "Marge Gamer" broadcast in April 2007.[266] Simon Crerar of The Times listed 🌈 Ronaldo's performance as one of the thirty-three funniest cameos in the history of the show.[267] Ronaldo made a cameo appearance 🌈 in Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001) and each film of the Goal! film trilogy, Goal! (2005), Goal II: Living the 🌈 Dream (2007) and Goal III: Taking on the World (2009).[268] 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.[269]

Ronaldo has appeared in 🌈 various commercials, from Snickers chocolate bar to Pirelli tyres.[270][271] Ronaldo's usual goal celebration of both arms outstretched – especially from 🌈 his early career – was the basis for Pirelli's 1998 commercial where he replaced the figure of Christ from the 🌈 Christ the Redeemer statue that towers over his home city of Rio de Janeiro while in an Inter Milan strip.[272] 🌈 It was controversial with the Catholic Church.[271] Released in 2000 for the PlayStation and Game Boy Color, the video game 🌈 Ronaldo V-Football was exclusively endorsed by Ronaldo.[273] In 2024 Ronaldo was added as an icon to the Ultimate Team in 🌈 EA Sports' FIFA video game FIFA 18, receiving a 95 rating along with Brazilian compatriot Pelé, Argentine playmaker Diego Maradona, 🌈 former Russian goalkeeper Lev Yashin and former French star Thierry Henry.[274] Ronaldo also appears as the cover athlete on the 🌈 Icon edition of the game.[275][276]

In May 2024, DAZN released the first of a six-part series titled Ronaldo: El Presidente. The 🌈 series takes viewers inside the day-to-day running of Real Valladolid, revealing every challenge and triumph in Valladolid's first full season 🌈 under their Brazilian president, intercut with parallel narratives detailing the highs and lows of Ronaldo's own playing career.[277]

"Ronaldo is the 🌈 most global of all athletes today, bar none." —Joaquin Hidalgo, director of Nike's Brazilian marketing unit, 1998.[9]

Ronaldo has been sponsored 🌈 by sportswear company Nike since the early part of his career. In 1996, Nike signed Ronaldo to a 10-year contract 🌈 and to a lifetime endorsement deal worth overR$180 million.[278] Nicknamed R9 (his initial and shirt number),[204] Ronaldo is closely associated 🌈 with the original Nike Mercurial R9 that was designed for him for the 1998 FIFA World Cup.[279][280] To celebrate 15 🌈 years of the boot, Nike created a Mercurial Vapor IX inspired by the 1998 design, with Phil McCartney, VP of 🌈 Football Footwear for Nike, stating; "Ronaldo's impact on the game 15 years ago was immense, and in the run up 🌈 to 2014, we wanted to celebrate that boot and the man himself. We thought a modern construction of his 1998 🌈 boot would be a great commemoration of that moment."[279] In 2024, Ronaldo's R9 Mercurial boots inspired the Nike Mercurial Superfly 🌈 VI boots commissioned for Kylian Mbappé.[281] Unveiled in 2000, a bronze statue of Ronaldo is located next to Ronaldo Field 🌈 at Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon.[282]

Ronaldo has appeared in a series of Nike commercials. He starred in the 1996 Nike 🌈 commercial titled "Good vs Evil" in a gladiatorial game set in a Roman amphitheatre. Appearing alongside football players from around 🌈 the world, including Paolo Maldini, Eric Cantona, Luís Figo, Patrick Kluivert and Jorge Campos, they defend "the beautiful game" against 🌈 a team of demonic warriors, destroying evil by winning the match.[283] In 1998, he featured in a Nike commercial set 🌈 in an airport with a number of stars from the Brazil national team, including Romário and Roberto Carlos.[284] 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".[285][286] In the run-up to the 2014 World Cup, Ronaldo starred as 🌈 a mentor in Nike's Risk Everything animated commercial with a host of current players in the Nike stable.[287]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and 🌈 goals by club, season and competition Club Season League State league National cup Continental Other Total Division Apps Goals Apps 🌈 Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Cruzeiro 1993 Série A 14 12 2 0 — 4 8 🌈 1 0 21 20 1994 Série A — 18 22 — 8 2 — 26 24 Total 14 12 20 🌈 22 — 12 10 1 0 47 44 PSV 1994–95 Eredivisie 33 30 — 1 2 2[a] 3 — 36 🌈 35 1995–96 Eredivisie 13 12 — 3 1 5[a] 6 — 21 19 Total 46 42 — 4 3 7 🌈 9 — 57 54 Barcelona 1996–97 La Liga 37 34 — 4 6 7[b] 5 1[c] 2 49 47 Inter 🌈 Milan 1997–98 Serie A 32 25 — 4 3 11[a] 6 — 47 34 1998–99 Serie A 19 14 — 🌈 2 0 6[d] 1 1 0 28 15 1999–2000 Serie A 7 3 — 1 0 — — 8 3 🌈 2000–01 Serie A 0 0 — 0 0 0 0 — 0 0 2001–02 Serie A 10 7 — 1 🌈 0 5[a] 0 — 16 7 Total 68 49 — 8 3 22 7 1 0 99 59 Real Madrid 🌈 2002–03 La Liga 31 23 — 1 0 11[d] 6 1 1 44 30 2003–04 La Liga 32 24 — 🌈 5 2 9[d] 4 2 1 48 31 2004–05 La Liga 34 21 — 1 0 10[d] 3 — 45 🌈 24 2005–06 La Liga 23 14 — 2 1 2[d] 0 — 27 15 2006–07 La Liga 7 1 — 🌈 2 1 4[d] 2 — 13 4 Total 127 83 — 11 4 36 15 3 2 177 104 AC 🌈 Milan 2006–07 Serie A 14 7 — — — — 14 7 2007–08 Serie A 6 2 — — — 🌈 — 6 2 Total 20 9 — — — — 20 9 Corinthians 2009 Série A 20 12 10 8 🌈 8 3 — — 38 23 2010 Série A 11 6 9 3 — 7 3 — 27 12 2011 🌈 Série A — 2 0 — 2 0 — 4 0 Total 31 18 21 11 8 3 9 3 🌈 — 69 35 Career total 343 247 41 33 35 19 93 49 6 4 518 352

International

Appearances and goals by 🌈 national team, year and competition Team Year Competitive Friendly Total Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Brazil[288] 1994 — 4 🌈 1 4 1 1995 1[a] 0 5 3 6 3 1996 — 4 5 4 5 1997 11[b] 9 9 🌈 6 20 15 1998 7[c] 4 3 1 10 5 1999 6[d] 5 4 2 10 7 2000 — — 🌈 — 2001 — — — 2002 7[e] 8 5 3 12 11 2003 4[f] 3 4 0 8 3 2004 🌈 7[g] 6 4 0 11 6 2005 4[h] 1 1 0 5 1 2006 5[i] 3 2 2 8 5 🌈 2007 — — — 2008 — — — 2009 — — — 2010 — — — 2011 — 1 0 🌈 1 0 Total 52 39 46 23 98 62

Notes

Scores and results list Brazil's goal tally first.[192]

Table key ‡ Goal scored 🌈 by penalty

Honours

Cruzeiro

PSV Eindhoven

Barcelona

Inter Milan

Real Madrid

Corinthians

Brazil

Ronaldo's Golden Foot award in "The Champions Promenade" on the seafront of the Principality of Monaco