Brazilian footballer Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima has been number 9 for most of his career. In the classic football formation, the nine is the center forward. His only job on the pitch is to score goals. Ronaldo was one of the last prominent representatives of this role, which has recently become a rarity in world football.
O Fenomeno
In the final of the 1994 FIFA World Cup held in the United States, Brazil defeated Italy on penalties. Celebrating the victory, the Brazilians pass the won trophy from hand to hand. Romario, Dunga, goalkeeper Taffarel, and other stars are attracting everyone's attention. There was also a seventeen-year-old boy with a gaping smile on that team, for whom that victory would be only the starting point in his brilliant career.
Ronaldo started his career in the amateur team "San Cristovan" from Rio de Janeiro. But already at the age of 16 he signed his first professional contract with the Cruzeiro club. And offers from Europe soon followed. Shortly before the World Cup in the USA, Ronaldo signed a Dutch contract with PSV from Eindhoven.
World fame came to Ronaldo during his performance for Spanish Barcelona, where he moved in 1996. In the same year, Ronaldo was first recognized as the best footballer in the world. At the same time, the nickname O Fenomeno stuck to him. When relations with Barcelona soured, the player moved to Italian Inter. Here, by the way, for a short time I played not under my favorite ninth, but under the tenth number. With this club, Ronaldo won the UEFA Cup and was named World Footballer of the Year for the second time in a row.
At the 1998 World Cup in France, Ronaldo arrived as the main star of his national team. The tournament started well for him. The Brazilians reached the final again, and Ronaldo himself, on the way to it, scored four goals. However, in the decisive match with the hosts of the championship, Ronaldo, due to illness, was only a shadow of himself. In the final, the French, thanks in large part to the inspirational play of Zinedine Zidane, defeated the Brazilians.
That illness was the first in a series of physical problems that befell the attacker in the following years. Two serious knee injuries soon followed, the second of which, in the fateful match with Lazio, permanently excommunicated Ronaldo from football.
Return of the phenomenon
After that ill-fated injury, Ronaldo did not play for almost two years. He returned triumphantly to football at the 2002 World Cup held in Japan and Korea. The Brazilian national team, led by him, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho, won the championship title for the fifth time in history. And Ronaldo sent eight goals into the opponents' goal. For this contribution to the victory, he was recognized as the best footballer in the world for the third time.
Ronaldo spent the next five seasons at Real Madrid. He entered the field with Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Raul, Roberto Carlos, and other players of that stellar line-up. Then he played for a short time at Milan.
The stay at the Milan club ended with another serious knee injury and a return to Brazil. Many experts and fans believed that Ronaldo would never return. But he trained, sparing no effort. Several major European clubs have shown interest in the recovered Ronaldo. He signed a contract with Brazilian Corinthias, where he spent several more successful seasons.
