Ronaldo Nazario

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

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.

In Their Own Story

The 1998 UEFA Cup Final against Lazio stands as the defining moment of Ronaldo's early Inter career. With the score at 1-0, Ronaldo received the ball on the right flank, just outside the box. He accelerated past a defender with a burst of speed that left the Lazio player grasping at air, then cut inside, leaving another marker frozen. With his left foot, he unleashed a low, driven shot that beat the goalkeeper at his near post. The goal sealed a 3-0 victory and delivered Inter's first European trophy in years. Ronaldo dropped to his knees, arms outstretched in his signature Christ the Redeemer celebration, as the Inter fans in the Parc des Princes erupted. It was a moment of pure, unadulterated brilliance from a player who had just turned 21. The goal encapsulated everything that made him special: the pace, the dribbling, the composure, and the clinical finish. For that one night, he was untouchable, and the football world saw exactly why Inter had broken the world record to bring him to Milan.

Reader's Guide

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.

Did You Know?

• Ronaldo was named in the FIFA 100 list of the greatest living players compiled in 2004 by Pelé.
• He 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 2020, Ronaldo was named in the Ballon d'Or Dream Team, a greatest all-time XI published by France Football magazine.
• Ronaldo became the majority owner of Real Valladolid in September 2018, after buying 51% of the club's shares.
• In December 2021, he bought a controlling stake in his boyhood club Cruzeiro, and invested $70 million in the club. He sold his stake in Cruzeiro in April 2024.