Ronaldo Nazário

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 Bernabéu erupted as the ball dropped deep into the box. Ronaldo received it with his back to goal, shielding it effortlessly before spinning away from two defenders in a blur of white and gold. With a thunderous strike that seemed to defy gravity, he sent the ball rocketing into the top corner.

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 is the youngest recipient of both the FIFA World Player of the Year award (at age 20) and the Ballon d'Or (at age 21).
• He scored over 200 goals for club and country by the age of 23.
• Ronaldo scored twice in the 2002 World Cup final and won the Golden Boot as the tournament's top goalscorer.
• He scored his 15th World Cup goal at the 2006 tournament, a record at the time.
• Ronaldo became the majority owner of Real Valladolid in September 2018, buying 51% of the club's shares.