| A brilliant and fluid forward, Ronaldo was one of international soccer's biggest stars of the 1990s and Brazil's biggest soccer hero since Pele. At age 17 he was placed on Brazil's 1994 World Cup squad, though he did not play as the Brazilians won the Cup. The same year, 1994, he joined the Dutch professional team PSV Eindhoven. In 1996 his professional contract was purchased by Barcelona; the next year he moved again to Italy's F.C. Internazionale Milano, remaining until 2002 when he transferred to Real Madrid. He was named FIFA's World Footballer of the Year in 1996 and 1997, becoming both the youngest player to win the award and the only player to win the award in consecutive years. He also starred in the 1998 World Cup, scoring four goals in leading Brazil to the Cup finals, but he was criticized for their 3-0 loss to France in the championship game. Slowed by injuries in the 21st century, Ronaldo nonetheless made a triumphant return by leading Brazil to the World Cup championship in 2002. He won the Golden Boot as the tournament's top scorer (with 8 goals) and scored both goals in Brazil's 2-0 final game win over Germany.
Extra credit: Ronaldo wears jersey number 9... Ronaldo was named for Dr. Ronaldo Valente, who attended his birth... It's a Brazilian soccer tradition for stars to be known by their first name alone... Ronaldo's 1994 World Cup jersey read "Ronaldinho" to distinguish him from an older teammate with the same name; by the 2002 World Cup he had become the undisputed Ronaldo and was joined by a younger teammate who was called, in turn, Ronaldinho. |
Brazil