Romario
A prolific striker renowned for clinical finishing, Romário is considered one of the greatest players of all time.
Romário de Souza Faria (born 29 January 1966), known simply as Romário, is a Brazilian politician and former professional footballer who is currently the Senior Senator for Rio de Janeiro and is the president of football club America-RJ. A prolific striker renowned for his clinical finishing, he is considered one of the greatest players of all time. He scored over 700 goals for his clubs and country and is one of only five players to have scored 100 goals with three different clubs. Romário starred for Brazil in their 1994 FIFA World Cup triumph, receiving the Golden Ball as player of the tournament. He was named FIFA World Player of the Year the same year. He came fifth in the FIFA Player of the Century internet poll in 1999, was elected to the FIFA World Cup Dream Team in 2002, and was named in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players in 2004.
- Role
- Striker
Lore & Background
Romário moved to Barcelona for the 1993–94 season and became part of Johan Cruyff's 'Dream Team', forming an exceptional strike partnership with Hristo Stoichkov. He won La Liga in his first season and finished as the top goalscorer with 30 goals in 33 matches. Barcelona also reached the 1994 UEFA Champions League final, losing 0–4 to Milan. One of his best performances was scoring a hat-trick in a 5–0 win over Real Madrid in El Clásico. He was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1994. Romário left Barcelona unexpectedly in January 1995 after having a rift with coach Cruyff.
In Their Own Story
The rain slicked the Camp Nou turf as Romário stood over the penalty spot, the roar of the crowd drowning out his own thoughts. He didn't look at the goalkeeper; he looked past him, into the sea of blue and red. With a casual backheel flick, he sent the ball skimming across the grass, a signature move that left the keeper diving in vain before it hit the net. He sprinted to the corner flag, arms wide, screaming his name to the heavens—a fleeting king ruling a kingdom for two glorious years.
Reader's Guide
Romário is a master of the confined space of the penalty area, renowned for his rapid speed over short distances and trademark toe poke finish. With 55 goals in 70 appearances, he is the fourth-highest goalscorer for the Brazil national team. He is third on the all-time list of Brazilian league's top scorers with 155 goals. He is the ninth-highest goalscorer in the history of football with 784 goals in 1002 official games.
Did You Know?
- Romário scored 165 goals in 167 games in five seasons at PSV Eindhoven.
- He won the Brazilian league title with Vasco da Gama in 2000 and was top scorer three times in the league.
- Romário started his political career in 2010, when he was elected deputy for the Brazilian Socialist Party.
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