History and Record of Ronaldo

History of Ronaldo

Name: Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima

Date of Birth: 22.09.1976 (Bento Ribeiro)

Height: 1.83m

Position: Striker

Nationality: Brazilian

Caps: 91 (58 goals)

PSV paid a then record fee of £4 million for the prodigiously talented teenager who was an unused member of Brazil's 1994 World Cup winning squad.

After averaging a goal a game in the Dutch league Barcelona won a fierce battle with Inter over Ronaldo's signature. An amazing start to his Spanish career saw him collect the first of his FIFA and World Soccer player awards. He finished La Liga top scorer, scored the winning goal for Barcelona in the Cup Winners Cup final and also scored in the Copa America final for
Brazil.

One year after missing out on his signature, Inter snatched him away from Barca by paying the £19 million buy out clause in his contract, £9 million more than Barca had paid for him the previous season. His relentless goalscoring rate continued earning him second successive FIFA and World Soccer player of the year awards and for the first time the most prestigious award of them all, the Ballon D'or.

Ronaldo completed an unwanted hat-trick of second place finishes following a hugely controversial defeat against Juventus. While Inter were fuming over the referee's failure to award them a penalty for a foul on Ronaldo Juventus promptly wentdownfield and won one their own with a trademark dive. Del Piero converted and Juventus went on to seal the championship. Ronaldo helped Inter gain consolation weeks later with a goal in a 3-0 UEFA Cup final victory over Lazio.

Clearly established as the best player in the World Ronaldo lived up to the hype at the 1998 World Cup. He was outstanding as both goalscorer and goal maker as Brazil marched relentlessly towards a record fifth World Cup with victories over Denmarkand Holland in classic encounters. Ronaldo's name didn't appear on Brazil's initial team sheet for the final against France. Rumours that the striker had suffered a convulsive fit on the eve of the finals were later confirmed. A lethargic Ronaldowatched on helplessly as hosts France thrashed them to win their first ever World Cup.

Ronaldo ended a frustrating, injury plagued 1998-1999 campaign on a high note by helping Brazil retain the Copa America. He ruptured a tendon in his right knee in November and lasted six minutes into his comeback in an Italian Cup tie againstLazio. Lazio proved to be the striker's bogey club. After missing almost two years with injury Ronaldo returned to action in
2002. Inter needed victory away to Lazio to win the championship. They were crushed 4-2 and Ronaldo left the pitch in tears after being substituted late in the second half.

Ronaldo would cry tears of joy in the World Cup that summer. Champions France and arch rivals Argentina fell in the first round and Brazil took full advantage of a weak field to win a fifth World Cup, Ronaldo scored both goals in the final against Germany.

An unhappy five year stay in Italy ended with a move to Real Madrid. An overweight Ronaldo was pillared by the Spanish press following indifferent form but finally came good in the second half of the season as Real made up for a champions league exit at the hands of Juventus to win the Spanish championship, his first ever league title.

Knee injuries have robbed 'Il Fenomeno' of his astonishing pace but he still remains one of the deadliest strikers in the game. Despite poor performances in the 2006 World Cup he managed to break Gerd Muller's record as all time leading scorerin the competition with 15 goals and has already established himself as one of the all time greats.