Ronaldo
This article is about the Brazilian footballer. For the Portuguese footballer, see Cristiano Ronaldo. For other people named Ronaldo, see Ronaldo (name).
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In this name, the family name is Nazário de Lima, not Lima.
Ronaldo
Ronaldo-14-05-2013.jpg
Ronaldo in 2013
Personal information
Full name Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima
Date of birth 18 September 1976 (age 36)
Place of birth Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Height 1.82 metres (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1993–1994 Cruzeiro 14 (12)
1994–1996 PSV 46 (42)
1996–1997 Barcelona 37 (34)
1997–2002 Inter Milan 68 (49)
2002–2007 Real Madrid 127 (83)
2007–2008 AC Milan 20 (9)
2009–2011 Corinthians 31 (18)
Total 343 (247)
National team
1993 Brazil U17 7 (5)
1996 Brazil U23 8 (6)
1994–2006, 2011 Brazil 98 (62)
Honours[show]
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).
Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima (locally: [ʁoˈnawðu ˈlwiʒ nɐˈzaɾju dʒ ˈɫĩmɐ]; born 18 September 1976[1]) commonly known as Ronaldo, is a Brazilian retired footballer. Popularly dubbed "the phenomenon", he is considered by experts and fans as one of the greatest football players of all time.[2][3] In 2011, he was voted Goal.com's "Player of the Decades" in an online poll of the Spanish version of the website, gathering 29.55% of all votes.[4] He won his first Ballon d'Or as the European Footballer of the Year in 1997 and won the award again in 2002. He is one of only three men to have won the FIFA Player of the Year award three times, along with Zinedine Zidane and Lionel Messi.
Considered by many as the most complete striker in the past 30 years, in 2007, he was named as one of the best starting 11 of all-time by France Football and was named to the FIFA 100, a list of the greatest footballers compiled by Pelé. In 2010, he was voted Goal.com's "Player of the Decade" in an online poll, gathering 43.63 percent of all votes[5] and was also included as centre forward in the "Team of the Decade".[6] On 23 February 2010, Ronaldo announced that he would retire after the 2011 season, signing a two-year contract extension with the Corinthians at the same time.[7]
Ronaldo has played for Brazil in 98 international matches, scoring 62 goals. He was a part of the Brazilian squad that won the 1994 and 2002 World Cups. During the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Ronaldo became the highest goalscorer in the history of the World Cup with his fifteenth goal, surpassing Gerd Müller's previous record of 14. He is the only player to have won the World Cup Golden Ball and Golden Boot in separate tournaments. Having suffered a string of serious injuries throughout his career, Ronaldo retired on 14 February 2011, citing pain and hypothyroidism as the reasons for his premature retirement.[8]
In January 2013 he was named as one of the six Ambassadors of 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, others being Amarildo, Bebeto, Carlos Alberto Torres, Marta and Mario Zagallo.[9]
Contents [hide]
1 Club career
1.1 1993: Cruzeiro
1.2 1994–1996: PSV Eindhoven
1.3 1996–1997: Barcelona
1.4 1997–2002: Inter Milan
1.5 2002–2006: Real Madrid
1.6 2007–2008: AC Milan
1.7 2009–2011: Corinthians
2 International career
2.1 1998 FIFA World Cup
2.2 2002 FIFA World Cup
2.3 2006 FIFA World Cup
2.4 Farewell match
2.5 World Cup goals
3 International goals
4 Career statistics
4.1 Club
4.2 International
5 Career totals
6 Honours
6.1 Club
6.2 National team
6.3 Individual
7 Personal life
8 Philanthropy
9 References
10 External links
Club career
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1993: Cruzeiro
In 1993, Ronaldo began his football career playing for Cruzeiro which was already going on to become a successful club. In his first and only year with Cruzeiro, he amassed 12 goals in 14 appearances and led them to their first Copa do Brasil championship. Prior to this, he was turned down by his boyhood favourite team Flamengo, but Brazilian World Cup legend Jairzinho saw Ronaldo's potential and helped get him the move to Cruzeiro.
1994–1996: PSV Eindhoven
Ronaldo chose to join PSV after the 1994 World Cup, for he was selected despite being just 17, but did not play. It was Romário who advised Ronaldo to start his European career at PSV; Romário being a former striker of the team from 1988 to 1993. Ronaldo scored 30 league goals in his first season in the Netherlands. His second season was marred by a knee injury which kept him out of most of the campaign, but he still averaged nearly a goal a game in the league, scoring 12 goal in 13 appearances. With PSV, Ronaldo won the Dutch Cup in 1996 and he was Eredivisie top scorer in 1995.
1996–1997: Barcelona
During his spell at PSV, Ronaldo attracted the attention of both Inter Milan and FC Barcelona. It was Barcelona that was willing to pay the then record fee of $17 million. During the 1996–97 season, Ronaldo scored 47 goals in 49 games (in all competitions) for Barcelona, leading the Catalan side to UEFA Cup Winners' Cup triumph (where he capped the season with the winning goal in the cup final itself) and to Copa del Rey and Supercopa de España wins. He also won La Liga top scorer award in 1997 with 34 goals in 37 games. Until the 2008–09 season, Ronaldo remained the last player to score more than 30 goals in La Liga. At the age of 20, Ronaldo became the youngest player to win FIFA World Player of the Year in 1996. He also finished runner-up for the Ballon d'Or.
Ronaldo scoring the winning penalty in the 1997 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final against Paris Saint-Germain.
1997–2002: Inter Milan
Ronaldo's time at Barça was brief, as there were problems with the renegotiation of Ronaldo's contract. Ronaldo's unhappiness became evident and at the end of the season, by paying the buy out clause fee in his contract, Inter Milan signed him in the summer of 1997 for a then world record fee of £19 million. He had spent just one year with Barcelona.
Ronaldo duly helped them repeat his former side's cup-winning run, this time in the UEFA Cup, in which he scored their third goal in the final itself.
Ronaldo at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival
Ronaldo adapted to the Italian style of the game in his first season, finishing second on the league's scoring charts. Ronaldo started to develop into a complete forward. He began racking up assists, became first-choice penalty taker, taking and scoring freekicks, and captaining the team at the end of the season. During his time with Inter, he scored several goals against city rivals A.C. Milan in the Derby della Madonnina. He won FIFA World Player of the Year for the second time in 1997, and collected the Ballon d'Or the same year. The following year, after the FIFA World Cup, he finished second for FIFA player of the year, and third for European Footballer of the Year. At this point in his career, he was clearly and widely regarded as the best player in the world.
On 21 November 1999, during a Serie A match against Lecce, Ronaldo felt his knee buckle and was forced to limp off the pitch. Medical exams after the match confirmed that the striker had ruptured a tendon in his knee and would require surgery.[10] During his first comeback on 12 April 2000, he played only seven minutes during the first leg of the Coppa Italia final against Lazio before injuring his knee for a second time.[11] Ronaldo's recurring injury problems forced him to miss the entire 2000-01 season and much of the two seasons either side of it. After two operations and months of rehabilitation, Ronaldo came back for the 2002 World Cup, helping Brazil win their fifth World Cup title. Later in 2002, he won the World Player of the Year award for the third time, and transferred from Inter to Real Madrid. Ronaldo was given his most recognizable nickname, Il Fenomeno, by the Italian press while playing there. He was named the 20th top footballer of all time for Inter, according to Times Online, and only his injuries prevented a higher ranking. He played 99 games and scored 59 goals for Nerazzurri.
2002–2006: Real Madrid
Ronaldo playing for Real Madrid, 21 December 2005.
Having signed for Real Madrid for €46 million, his jersey sales broke all records on the first day, such was the obsession and hype surrounding him. He was sidelined through injury until October 2002 but the fans kept on chanting his name. Ronaldo scored twice in his debut for Real Madrid. He received a standing ovation at the Stadium Bernabéu. That same reception was observed on the night of the final game of the season against Athletic Bilbao, where Ronaldo scored again to seal his first season with 23 league goals and the La Liga Championship title for 2003. With Madrid, he also won an Intercontinental Cup in 2002 and Spanish Super Cup in 2003.
Ronaldo taking a shot for Real Madrid, 2 March 2005
In the second leg of Real Madrid's Champions League quarter-final, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick against Manchester United at Old Trafford, knocking the English team out of the competition.[12] Ronaldo was substituted on 80 minutes and was given a standing ovation from both sets of fans.[12] Madrid was on track to win the treble, until Ronaldo was injured towards the end of the 2003–04 season; they subsequently lost the Copa del Rey final,[13] were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, and suffered a league form breakdown. That season, he finished as the league's top scorer with 24 goals and was awarded the Pichichi Trophy, despite Madrid losing the league title to Valencia CF. With the acquisition of Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2006, Ronaldo grew more and more out of favour with the manager Fabio Capello due to injuries and weight issues.
In April 2013, he was named by Marca as a member of the "Best foreign eleven in Real Madrid's history".[14]
2007–2008: AC Milan
On 18 January 2007, it was reported that Ronaldo agreed terms with A.C. Milan for a transfer of €8.05 million.[15] Ronaldo was forced to pay for the remaining period on his contract which tied him to Real Madrid, only because the latter did not agree to release him, while AC Milan were not ready to pay such a sum. On 25 January, Ronaldo flew from Madrid to Milan to watch the team play in a cup tie against Roma. Statements on the club's website said that Ronaldo was in Milan for a medical, and that a meeting had been arranged for Monday with Real Madrid officials to discuss and finalize his transfer to the Milanese club. On 26 January, Ronaldo successfully completed his medical tests at the Milanello training complex under the supervision of club doctors, and the transfer completed on 30 January[16] and got the squad number 99. He made his debut as a substitute on 11 February 2007, during the 2–1 victory over Livorno. The next game at Siena, on 17 February, Ronaldo scored twice and assisted on a third goal in his first start for AC Milan, as they won an exciting game 4–3. In his first season, Ronaldo scored seven goals in 14 appearances.[10]
After his move to AC Milan, Ronaldo joined the list of the few players to have played for both Inter Milan and AC Milan in the Derby della Madonnina, and is one of two players to have scored for both sides in the derby game (for Inter in the 1998–99 season and for AC Milan in the 2006–07 season), the other player being Zlatan Ibrahimović. Ronaldo is also one of the few players to have started for Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, which also boasts a heated rivalry. Ronaldo, however, has never transferred directly between rival clubs. Ronaldo only played 300-plus minutes in his single season at AC Milan due to recurring injury problems and weight issues. Ronaldo's only goals in the 2007–08 season, besides his goal against Lecce in pre-season, came in a 5–2 victory against Napoli at the San Siro, where he scored an emotional brace. It was also the first time AC Milan's much hyped attacking trio of Kaká, Alexandre Pato and Ronaldo, known as Ka-Pa-Ro, played together. In total, he scored nine goals in 20 appearances for AC Milan.
Despite tremendous success over the past decade, Ronaldo has never won the UEFA Champions League in his club career. During the 2006–07 season, though AC Milan won the 2006–07 title, Ronaldo was cup-tied with Madrid and ineligible to take part. The closest that he has been was in 2003 when he helped Real Madrid to the semi-finals, in which they lost to Juventus.
On 13 February 2008, Ronaldo suffered a severe season-ending knee injury while jumping for a cross in AC Milan 1–1 draw with Livorno, and was stretchered off and taken to a hospital. The club confirmed after the match that Ronaldo had ruptured the kneecap ligament in his left knee. It marked the third such occurrence of this injury, which he suffered twice to his right knee in 1998 and 2000.[17] He was released by AC Milan at the end of the season, as his contract expired and was not renewed.
2009–2011: Corinthians
Ronaldo in 2010
Ronaldo trained with Flamengo during his recovery from knee surgery, and the club's board of directors said that the doors were open for him to join. On 9 December, however, Ronaldo signed a one-year deal with Flamengo's league rival Corinthians.[18] The announcement received high publicity in the Brazilian press about his favouring Corinthians over Flamengo, since Ronaldo publicly declared himself a Flamengo lover and had promised to defend the club.[19]
Ronaldo played his first match for Corinthians on 4 March 2009, a Copa do Brasil match against Itumbiara at Estádio Juscelino Kubitschek, in which he came as a substitute for Jorge Henrique.[20] Ronaldo scored his first goal for Corinthians on 8 March 2009 in a Campeonato Paulista match against Palmeiras.[21] He helped Corinthians win the Campeonato Paulista with 10 goals in 14 games.[22]
Ronaldo helped Corinthians defeat Internacional with an aggregate score of 4–2 to help the club win its third Brazil Cup (the second of his career), thus earning a spot in the Copa Libertadores 2010. He returned on 20 September in a match against Goiás. On 27 September 2009, he scored for Corinthians in the 1–1 draw against São Paulo FC. He finished the Brazilian Serie A 2009 with 12 goals in 20 matches. In February 2010, Ronaldo signed a contract extension with Corinthians that would keep him with the club until the end of 2011, and said he would then retire.[23]
In February 2011, after Corinthians were eliminated from the 2011 Copa Libertadores by the Colombian team Deportes Tolima, Ronaldo announced his retirement from football.[24][25][26] In an emotional press conference on 14 February 2011, he admitted his body had finally succumbed to the crippling litany of injuries that have blighted his career. "It's very hard to leave something that made me so happy. Mentally I wanted to continue but I have to acknowledge that I lost to my body," he stated.[27][28]
International career
Ronaldo made his international debut for Brazil in 1994, in a friendly match in Recife against Argentina. He went to the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States as a 17-year-old, but did not play. He came to be known as Ronaldinho ("little Ronaldo" in Portuguese), because Ronaldo Rodrigues de Jesus, his older teammate on the tournament, was also called Ronaldo and also nicknamed Ronaldão ("big Ronaldo") to further distinguish them.[29] Another Brazilian player, Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, who is widely known as Ronaldinho, would come to be called Ronaldinho Gaúcho when he joined the Brazilian main national team in 1999.
In the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ronaldo played with the name Ronaldinho on his shirt, since centre back Ronaldo Guiaro, two years his senior, was one of his teammates. Brazil went on to win the bronze medal.
1998 FIFA World Cup
He entered the 1998 FIFA World Cup and was billed by reporters and experts as the world's greatest footballer. He scored four goals and made three assists. The night before the final, he suffered a convulsive fit. At first, Ronaldo was removed from the starting lineup 72 minutes before the match, but he requested to play and was later reinstated by coach Mario Zagallo. Ronaldo's performance was below par and he was injured in a collision with French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez. Brazil lost the final to hosts France 3–0.[30] Adrian Williams, professor of clinical neurology at Birmingham University, said that Ronaldo should not have played, saying that he would have been feeling the after effects of the seizure and that "there is no way that he would have been able to perform to the best of his ability within 24 hours of his first fit – if it was his first fit."[31]
2002 FIFA World Cup
During the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Ronaldo again led the national team to their record fifth championship and won the Golden Shoe as top scorer with eight goals and was runner-up to the Golden Ball as most valuable player in the tournament. He also scored against every opponent in the tournament except in the quarter-finals against England. In the final match against Germany, Ronaldo scored his 11th and 12th goals to a round of applause and tied Pelé's Brazilian record of 12 career World Cup goals.[32]
2006 FIFA World Cup
On 2 June 2004, Ronaldo scored an unusual hat-trick of penalties for Brazil against arch-rivals Argentina in a 2006 World Cup qualifying match.
At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, although Brazil won their first two group games against Croatia and Australia, respectively, Ronaldo was repeatedly jeered for being overweight and slow. Nonetheless, coach Carlos Alberto Parreira kept him in the starting lineup in face of calls to have Ronaldo replaced. With his two goals against Japan in the third match, he became the 20th player ever to score in three different FIFA World Cups and also equalled the all-time World Cup finals scoring record of 14, held by Gerd Müller (Ronaldo scored at France 98, Korea/Japan 2002 and Germany 2006). and then broke Müller's record in the Round of 16 match against Ghana by scoring his 15th World Cup goal. He also equalled a much-less-talked-about mark: with his third goal of the 2006 World Cup, Ronaldo became only the second player ever, after Jürgen Klinsmann, to score at least three goals in each of three World Cups. Brazil, however, were knocked out by France 1–0 in the quarter-finals.
Ronaldo and Klinsmann's record of at least three goals in each of three World Cup finals has now been both equalled and bettered by the German Miroslav Klose, who now has a record of at least four goals in each of three tournaments, having netted five at both the 2002 and 2006 finals, and four at the 2010 tournament.
Farewell match
In February 2011 it was announced that Ronaldo will be given one very last match for Brazil, five years after his last match with the national team, a friendly against Romania was held in São Paulo on 7 June 2011. Despite it being almost unheard of in international football for players to be given farewell matches for their national side, CBF officials have stated that given the extraordinary career of Ronaldo, it is only fitting that his last hurrah should take place in Brazil while representing his nation.[33] He played for 15 minutes in a match that ended with a Brazilian victory with a single goal from Fred at the 21st minute.[34][35] Goalscorer Fred celebrated his goal with Ronaldo's famous 'finger wag' celebration along with his Brazilian teammates who joined in as well. When Ronaldo was introduced to the pitch around the thirty minute mark, he had three shots on target which were saved by the Romanian keeper, Ciprian Tătăruşanu. As soon as the first half was over, Ronaldo made a speech to the crowd at the game.[36]
World Cup goals
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result World Cup Round
1. 1998-06-16 Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes, France Morocco 1 – 0 3–0 1998 Group stage
2. 1998-06-27 Parc des Princes, Paris, France Chile 3 – 0 4–1 Round of 16
3. 4 – 1 4–1
4. 1998-07-07 Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France Netherlands 1 – 0 1–1 Semi-final
5. 2002-06-03 Munsu Cup Stadium, Ulsan, Korea Republic Turkey 1 – 1 2–1 2002 Group stage
6. 2002-06-08 Jeju World Cup Stadium, Seogwipo, Korea Republic China PR 4 – 0 4–0
7. 2002-06-13 Suwon World Cup Stadium, Suwon, Korea Republic Costa Rica 0 – 1 2–5
8. 0 – 2 2–5
9. 2002-06-17 Kobe Wing Stadium, Kobe, Japan Belgium 2 – 0 2–0 Round of 16
10. 2002-06-26 Saitama Stadium, Saitama, Japan Turkey 1 – 0 1–0 Semi-final
11. 2002-06-30 International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan Germany 0 – 1 0–2 Final
12. 0 – 2 0–2
13. 2006-06-22 Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, Germany Japan 1 – 1 1–4 2006 Group stage
14. 1 – 4 1–4
15. 2006-06-27 Ghana 1 – 0 3–0 Round of 16
International goals
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 1994-06-05 McMahon Stadium, Edmonton, Canada Canada
1 – 0
1 – 1
Friendly
2. 1995-06-11 Parc des Princes, Paris, France England
2 – 1
3 – 1
3. 1996-12-28 ?, Manaus, Brazil Bosnia and Herzegovina
1 – 0
1 – 0
3. 1997-04-30 Lockhart Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, USA Mexico
1 – 0
4 – 0
4.
3 – 0
4 – 0
5. 1997-05-30 Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway Norway
1 – 3
2 – 4
6. 1997-06-08 Stagg Memorial Stadium, Stockton, USA Honduras
1 – 0
8 – 2
7.
2 – 0
8 – 2
8.
3 – 0
8 – 2
9.
4 – 1
8 – 2
10.
6 – 1
8 – 2
11.
7 – 2
8 – 2
12. 1997-06-13 Estadio Ramón Aguilera, Santa Cruz, Bolivia Costa Rica
3 – 0
5 – 0
1997 Copa América
13.
4 – 0
5 – 0
14. 1997-06-22 Paraguay
1 – 0
2 – 0
15.
2 – 0
2 – 0
16. 1997-06-29 Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia Bolivia
2 – 1
3 – 1
17. 1997-11-11 Estádio Mané Garrincha, Brasilia, Brazil Wales
1 – 0
3 – 0
Friendly
18.
3 – 0
3 – 0
19. 1997-12-07 Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa South Africa
1 – 0
2 – 1
20.
2 – 0
2 – 1
21. 1997-12-19 King Fahd II Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Czech Republic
2 – 0
2 – 0
1997 FIFA Confederations Cup
22. 1997-12-21 Australia
1 – 0
6 – 0
23.
2 – 0
6 – 0
24.
5 – 0
6 – 0
25. 1998-06-16 Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes, France Morocco
1 – 0
3 – 0
1998 FIFA World Cup
26. 1998-06-27 Parc des Princes, Paris, France Chile
3 – 0
4 – 1
27.
4 – 1
4 – 1
28. 1998-07-07 Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France Netherlands
1 – 0
1 – 1
29. 1999-03-28 Olympic Stadium, Seoul, Korea Republic South Korea
1 – 1
2 – 1
Friendly
30. 1999-06-30 Estadio Antonio Oddone Sarubbi, Ciudad del Este, Paraguay Venezuela
1 – 0
7 – 0
1999 Copa América
31.
4 – 0
7 – 0
32. 1999-07-06 Chile
1 – 0
1 – 0
33. 1999-07-11 Argentina
2 – 1
2 – 1
34. 1999-07-18 Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay Uruguay
3 – 0
3 – 0
35. 2001-08-09 Pinheirão, Curitiba, Brazil Panama
3 – 0
5 – 0
Friendly
36.
4 – 0
5 – 0
37.
5 – 0
5 – 0
38. 2002-02-06 King Fahd II Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia
1 – 0
1 – 0
39. 2002-06-03 Munsu Cup Stadium, Ulsan, Korea Republic Turkey
1 – 1
2 – 1
2002 FIFA World Cup
40. 2002-06-08 Jeju World Cup Stadium, Seogwipo, Korea Republic China PR
4 – 0
4 – 0
41. 2002-06-13 Suwon World Cup Stadium, Suwon, Korea Republic Costa Rica
1 – 0
5 – 2
42.
2 – 0
5 – 2
43. 2002-06-17 Kobe Wing Stadium, Kobe, Japan Belgium
2 – 0
2 – 0
44. 2002-06-26 Saitama Stadium, Saitama, Japan Turkey
1 – 0
1 – 0
45. 2002-06-30 Nissan Stadium, Yokohama, Japan Germany
1 – 0
2 – 0
46.
2 – 0
2 – 0
47. 2003-06-11 Abuja Stadium, Abuja, Nigeria Nigeria
3 – 0
3 – 0
Friendly
48. 2003-09-07 Estadio Metropolitano, Barranquilla, Colombia Colombia
1 – 0
2 – 1
2006 FIFA World Cup
Qualification
49. 2003-11-19 Pinheirão, Curitiba, Brazil Uruguay
2 – 0
3 – 3
50.
3 – 3
3 – 3
51. 2004-02-06 Mineirão, Belo Horizonte, Brazil Argentina
1 – 0
3 – 0
52.
2 – 0
3 – 0
53.
3 – 0
3 – 0
54. 2004-08-18 Stade Sylvio Cator, Port-au-Prince, Haiti Haiti
2 – 0
6 – 0
Friendly
55.
5 – 0
6 – 0
56.
6 – 0
6 – 0
57. 2004-09-05 Estádio do Morumbi, São Paulo, Brazil Bolivia
1 – 0
3 – 1
2006 FIFA World Cup
Qualification
58. 2004-10-09 Estadio José Pachencho Romero, Maracaibo, Venezuela Venezuela
3 – 0
5 – 2
59. 2006-06-04 Stade de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland New Zealand
1 – 0
4 – 0
Friendly
60. 2006-06-22 FIFA WM Stadion Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany Japan
1 – 1
4 – 1
2006 FIFA World Cup
61.
4 – 1
4 – 1
62. 2006-06-27 Ghana
1 – 0
3 – 0
Career statistics
Club
Season Club League League Regional
League Cup Continental Orher Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
1993 Cruzeiro Série A 14 12 2 0 - - 4 8 1 0 21 20
1994 - - 18 22 - - 8 2 - - 26 24
1994–95 PSV Eredivisie 33 30 - - 1 2 2 3 - - 36 35
1995–96 13 12 - - 3 1 5 6 - - 21 19
1996–97 Barcelona La Liga 37 34 - - 4 6 7 5 1 2 49 47
1997–98 Inter Milan Serie A 32 25 - - 4 3 11 6 - - 47 34
1998–99 19 14 - - 2 0 6 1 1 0 28 15
1999–00 7 3 - - 1 0 - - - - 8 3
2000–01 -
2001–02 10 7 - - 1 0 5 0 - - 16 7
2002–03 Real Madrid La Liga 31 23 - - 1 0 11 6 1 1 44 30
2003–04 32 24 - - 5 2 9 4 2 1 48 31
2004–05 34 21 - - 1 0 10 3 - - 45 24
2005–06 23 14 - - 2 1 2 0 - - 27 15
2006–07 7 1 - - 2 1 4 2 - - 13 4
2006–07 AC Milan Serie A 14 7 - - - - - - - - 14 7
2007–08 6 2 - - - - - - - - 6 2
2009 Corinthians Série A 20 12 10 8 8 3 - - - - 38 23
2010 11 6 9 3 - - 7 3 - - 27 12
2011 - - 2 0 - - 2 0 - - 4 0
Career totals 343 247 41 33 35 19 93 49 6 4 518 352
Other - Recopa Sudamericana, Supercopa de España, Intercontinental Cup, & UEFA Cup Play-Off (at Coppa Italia)
International
[37]
Brazil national team
Year Apps Goals
1994 4 1
1995 6 3
1996 4 5
1997 20 15
1998 10 5
1999 10 7
2000 - -
2001 - -
2002 12 11
2003 8 3
2004 11 6
2005 5 1
2006 7 5
2007 - -
2008 - -
2009 - -
2010 - -
2011 1 0
Total 98 62
Career totals
Career
Team Season Official
Matches Friendly
and Others Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Cruzeiro 1993—1994 47 44 12 13 59 57
PSV Eindhoven 1994—1996 57 54 13 12 70 66
Barcelona 1996—1997 49 47 2 0 51 47
Inter Milan 1997—2002 99 59 16 12 115 71
Real Madrid 2002—2007 177 104 17 14 194 118
Milan 2007—2008 20 9 1 1 21 10
Corinthians 2008—2011 69 35 0 0 69 35
Brazil 1994—2011 98 62 7 5 105 67
Brazil U17 1993 7 5 0 0 7 5
Brazil U23 1996 8 6 0 0 8 6
Unofficial Matches[38] 1997—2011 - - 18 8 15 8
Total Career 631 425 86 67 717 492
Honours
Club
Cruzeiro
Campeonato Mineiro (1): 1994
Copa do Brasil (1): 1993
PSV Eindhoven
KNVB Cup (1): 1996
Johan Cruijff-schaal (1): 1996
Barcelona
Copa del Rey (1): 1997
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1): 1997
Supercopa de España (1): 1996
Inter Milan
UEFA Cup (1): 1998
Real Madrid
La Liga (1): 2002–03
Intercontinental Cup (1): 2002
Supercopa de España (1): 2003
Corinthians
Campeonato Paulista (1): 2009
Copa do Brasil (1): 2009
National team
FIFA World Cup (2): 1994, 2002
FIFA World Cup (1): Runners-up (2nd Place) 1998
Copa América (2): 1997, 1999
Copa América (1): Runners-up (2nd Place) 1995,
FIFA Confederations Cup (1): 1997
Summer Olympic Games (1): Bronze Medal (3rd Place) 1996
Individual
Supercopa Libertadores Top Scorer (1): 1993–94
Supercopa Libertadores Team of The Year (1): 1993-04
Campeonato Mineiro Top Scorer (1): 1993–94
Campeonato Mineiro Team of The Year (1): 1994
Eredivisie Top Scorer (1): 1994–95
La Liga Foreign Player of the Year (1): 1996
European Golden Boot (1): 1996–97
Don Balón Award La Liga Foreign Player of the Year (1): 1996–97
Copa América Final Most Valuable Player (1): 1997
Copa América Most Valuable Player (1): 1997
FIFA Confederations Cup Bronze Shoe Winner (1): 1997
FIFA Confederations Cup All-Star Team (1): 1997
Cup Winners Cup Final Most Valuable Player (1): 1997
Cup Winners Cup Top Goal Scorer (1): 1996–1997
IFFHS World's Top Goal Scorer of the Year (1): 1997
UEFA Most Valuable Player (1) 1998
European Sports Media ESM Team of the Year (2) 1996–97, 1997–98
UEFA Most Valuable Player (1): 1997–98
Serie A Footballer of the Year (1): 1997–98
Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year (1): 1997–98
UEFA Best Forward (1): 1997–98
Bravo Award (3): 1996, 1997, 1998
FIFA World Cup Golden Ball (1): 1998
FIFA World Cup Best player (1): 1998
UEFA Cup Final Most Valuable Player (1): 1998
UEFA Club Footballer of the Year (1): 1997 - 1998
Copa América Top Scorer (1): 1999
Copa América All-Star Team (2): 1997, 1999
Ballon D'or (2): 1997, 2002
Ballon D'or (1): 1996 Ballon d'Or recipients 2nd
Ballon D'or (1): 1998 Ballon d'Or recipients 3rd
World Soccer Magazine World Player of The Year (3): 1996, 1997, 2002
Onze d'Or (2): 1997, 2002
Onze d'Argent (1): 1998
FIFA World Cup Silver Ball (1): 2002
FIFA World Cup All-Star Team (2): 1998, 2002
FIFA World Cup Final Most Valuable Player (1): 2002
FIFA World Cup Dream Team – 2002
FIFA World Cup Golden boot (1): 2002
FIFA World Cup Top Scorer (1): 2002
Intercontinental Cup Most Valuable Player (1): 2002
Intercontinental Cup Man of the Match (1): 2002
UEFA Club Team of The Year (1): 2002
Laureus World Sports Awards Comeback of the Year (1): 2002
Strogaldo De Legendary Award (1): 2002
BBC Sports Personality of the Year Overseas Personality (1): 2002
FIFA World Cup All-Star Team (2): 1998, 2002
FIFA World Cup Final Man of the Match: 2002
FIFA World Player of the Year (3): 1996, 1997, 2002
FIFA World Player of the Year (1): 1998 2nd
FIFA World Player of the Year (1): 2003 3rd
Trofeo EFE La Liga Ibero-American Player of the Year (2): 1996–97, 2002–03
Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsman of the Year (1): 2003
Pichichi Trophy (2) 1996–1997, 2003-2004
FIFA 100 (2004)
FIFA World Cup All-Time Leading Scorer, 2006
FIFA World Cup Bronze Boot (2): 1998,2006
Brazil national football team Hall of Fame: 2006
Golden Foot award (1): 2006
Serie A Player of the Decade: 1997–2007
France Football (Magazine): Starting eleven of all-time (2007)
Real Madrid Team of the century
Campeonato Paulista Best Player (1): 2009
Honor of Brazilian Football Confederation: 2010
Real Madrid Hall of fame: 2011
Marca Leyenda: 2011
World Soccer (magazine):Players' All-time ranking (3) 1st Place
World Soccer (magazine): The Greatest Players of the 20th Century (Published December 1999)
Goal.com: Player of a decade: Winner 2000–2010[39]
Personal life
Ronaldo is the third child of Nélio Nazário de Lima, Snr and Sônia dos Santos Barata, Ronaldo has a brother Nélio Jr.[40][41]
Ronaldo during a meeting at the Brazilian Ministry of Education.
During 1997, Ronaldo met the Brazilian model and actress Susana Werner on the set of Brazilian telenovela Malhação when they acted together in three episodes.[42][43] Although never marrying, they began a long-term relationship and lived together in Milan until the beginning of 1999.[44] In April 1999, Ronaldo married female Brazilian footballer Milene Domingues, at the time pregnant with the couple's first son, Ronald. The marriage lasted four years. The couple had a son, Ronald (born in Milan, on 6 April 2000).[45] In 2005, Ronaldo became engaged to Brazilian model and MTV VJ Daniela Cicarelli, who became pregnant but suffered a miscarriage; the relationship lasted for only three months after their luxurious wedding at the Château de Chantilly. The ceremony reportedly cost £700,000 (€896,000).[46]
In April 2008, Ronaldo was involved in a scandal involving three transvestite prostitutes whom he met in a nightclub located in the city of Rio de Janeiro.[47] Upon discovering that they were men, Ronaldo offered them $600 to leave.[48] One of the three, however, André Luís Ribeiro Albertini (better known as Andréia Albertini), demanded $30,000 and exposed the case to the media.[49] According to the local police chief, "[Ronaldo] was very excited and wanted to go out and have fun, without the press knowing. Ronaldo said that he is not mentally stable and is having psychological problems because of his recent surgery. But he committed no crime at all, it was immoral at best."[50] Ronaldo's engagement to Maria Beatriz Antony was cancelled immediately after the prostitution scandal[51] but resumed a little later. Maria Beatriz Antony gave birth to their first daughter, named Maria Sophia, in Rio de Janeiro, on 24 December 2008. In April 2009, the whole family moved to a new penthouse in São Paulo.[52] On 6 April 2010, Maria Beatriz Antony gave birth to their second daughter. The girl, born in São Paulo, was named Maria Alice. Coincidently, Maria Alice was born exactly 10 years after her older brother Ronald.[53] In December 2010, Ronaldo and his family moved to a new mansion in São Paulo.[54] Also in December, Ronaldo performed a parental testing and confirmed to be the father of a boy named Alexander (born in April 2005). The boy was born after a brief relationship between Ronaldo and Michele Umezu, a Brazilian waitress whom Ronaldo first met in Tokyo, in 2002.[55][56] After the confirmation of his fourth child, the striker declared that four is enough, causing him to "close the factory". So, on 26 December 2010, he revealed his recent vasectomy.[57]
Since 2005, Ronaldo has been the co-owner of A1 Team Brazil, along with Brazilian motorsports legend Emerson Fittipaldi.[58] Ronaldo is set to become President of Brazil Soccer Federation 2014.[59]
Philanthropy
On 13 December 2011 world football legends Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo played a charity match with their friends against former and current players of German Hamburg.[60][61][62][63]
References
^ According to "Ronaldo : the journey of a genius" by James Mosley, Ronaldo was born on 18 September, but was registered on 22 September
^ http://www.castrolfootball.com/legends/
^ "Top 100 Greatest Ever Footballers".
^ "Debate: ¿Quién es el mejor jugador de la Historia?" (in (Spanish)). Goal.com. 23 May 2010. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
^ Goal.com team (1 January 2010). "Ronaldo Is Goal.com's Player of the Decade". Goal.com. Goal.com. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
^ Goal.com team (28 December 2009). "ESPN-soccernews". Goal.com. Goal.com. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
^ "Ronaldo sets retirement date". Retrieved 23 February 2010.
^ "Emocionado, Ronaldo atribui adeus às dores e ao hipotireoidismo". Globo.com. 14 February 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
^ Brazil 2014 Ambassadors Named
^ a b "Ronaldo (Luíz (Ronaldo) Nazário de Lima) – Milan and Brazil". Footballdatabase.com. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
^ "F.C. Internazionale Milano". Inter.it. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
^ a b "Ronaldo ends Man Utd dream". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 23 April 2003. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
^ "Real Madrid 2–3 Real Zaragoza". The Guardian (Guardian Media Group). 18 March 2004. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
^ "The best foreign eleven in Real Madrid's history". Marca.com. 12 April 2013.
^ "Ronaldo unveiled by Rossoneri". UEFA.com. 30 January 2007.
^ "Milan complete signing of Ronaldo". BBC News. 30 January 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
^ "Milan fear for Ronaldo's career". BBC News. 14 February 2008.
^ Independent.co.uk Ronaldo agrees to join Corinthians
^ Goal.com Ronaldo: No Milan? I'll Go To Flamengo
^ "Aos 22min do 2º tempo, Ronaldo estréia pelo Corinthians" (in Portuguese). Terra. 4 March 2009. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
^ "Com gol de Ronaldo no final, Corinthians arranca empate contra o Palmeiras" (in Portuguese). Folha Online. 8 March 2009. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
^ News.Xinhuanet.com, (English)
^ "Ronaldo Renews Corinthians Contract, Will Retire In 2011". Reuters. 22 February.[dead link]
^ "Ronaldo confirma o fim da carreira (In Portuguese)" (in Portuguese). GloboEsporte. 13 February.
^ Gallas, Daniel (14 January 2011). "Ronaldo's troubled farewell". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
^ "Ronaldo confirms retirement". ESPN Soccernet. 14 January 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
^ "Ronaldo admits in emotional retirement address: 'I lost to my body'". Guardian (London). 14 January 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
^ "Tearful Ronaldo retires as Brazil legend concedes long battle against fitness". Daily Mail (London). 14 January 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
^ Rob Bagchi and Rob Smyth (14 March 2012). "WAS RONALDO ORIGINALLY CALLED RONALDINHO?". The Guardian.
^ "Ronaldo's fit caused hotel panic". CNN/SI. 15 July 1998.
^ "Neurologist questions Ronaldo decision". CNN/SI. 14 July 1998.
^ Longman, Jere (1 July 2002). "Ronaldo's Sweetest Vindication". New York Times. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
^ Ronaldo to receive Seleção swansong. FIFA.com (2011-03-02). Retrieved on 3 December 2011.
^ Gonzalez, Roger. "Brazil 1–0 Romania: Neymar shines as hosts secure win in Ronaldo's farewell match". Goal.com. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
^ "Brazil win as Ronaldo bows out". ESPN Soccernet. 8 June 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
^ "Ronaldo laughs off misses in his final match for Brazil". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
^ "Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima – Goals in International Matches". Rsssf.com. 23 July 2006. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
^ Благотворительные матчи и матчи-бенефисы.
^ "Ronaldo Is Goal.com's Player Of The Decade". Goal.com. 31 December 2009. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
^ Mosley, James (2005). Ronaldo : the journey of a genius. Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 1-84018-964-9.
^ Ronaldo: Manual de Vuelo (Brazil Documentary film) 1997
^ "Ronaldo's profile at IMDB". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 24 February 2009.
^ "Susana Werner's profile at IMDB". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
^ "Susana Werner, love in Milan". Lance!. 29 January 2009. Retrieved 24 February 2009. (Portuguese)
^ "Fast facts on Ronaldo". CNN Sports Illustrated. 31 August 2002.
^ "Ronaldo splits up with fiancee". China Daily. 12 May 2005.
^ "Ronaldo's in transvestite scandal". BBC. 29 April 2008.
^ "Police probe Ronaldo-transvestite incident". Reuters. 29 April 2008.
^ "Two of the transvestite prostitutes say that Ronaldo's allegations are false". Daily Mail (London). 7 May 2008.
^ Andrew Downie & Tom Leonard (29 April 2008). "Ronaldo 'threatened transvestite prostitutes in Rio motel room'". The Daily Telegraph (London).
^ "Ronaldo's family confirms former fiancee's pregnancy". www.chinaview.cn. 14 May 2008.
^ "Ronaldo and Maria Beatriz Antony's new penthouse in São Paulo". Isto É Gente magazine. 11 May 2009. (Portuguese)
^ "Ronaldo’s wife gives birth to another girl". Yahoo! Sports. 6 April 2010.
^ "Ronaldo moves to a R$ 17 million mansion" (in Portuguese). Quem magazine. 17 December 2010.
^ "In the newsstands: Everything about the first meeting between Ronaldo and Alex" (in Portuguese). Quem Magazine. 8 December 2010.
^ "Ronaldo: "Alex is my son"" (in Portuguese). Quem Magazine. 8 December 2010.
^ Antara News : After fourth child, Ronaldo performes vasectomy. Beta.antaranews.com (2010-12-27). Retrieved on 3 December 2011.
^ "Ronaldo, Fittipaldi Launch A1 Team Brazil". 30 June 2005.
^ Soccerex Roundup – Ronaldo Set to Replace Teixeira as Brazil Soccer Federation President in 2014. Aroundtherings.com (2011-11-29). Retrieved on 3 December 2011.
^ "Hamburg to host 2011 Match Against Poverty –". Uefa.com. 8 December 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
^ "They've still got it! Legends Ronaldo and Zidane join Drogba and co for charity match". Daily Mail (London). 14 December 2011.
^ "Blic Sport | Ronalda ne napušta osećaj za gol /video/". Sport.blic.rs. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
^ "Match Against Poverty | UNDP". Beta.undp.org. 10 April 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ronaldo
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Ronaldo
Ronaldo at Real Madrid (English) (Spanish)
Ronaldo – FIFA competition record
Ronaldo at National-Football-Teams.com
ESPN Profile
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WorldCat VIAF: 12519833 LCCN: n97124255 ISNI: 0000 0001 1596 9189 GND: 123651158
Categories: 1976 births1994 FIFA World Cup players1997 FIFA Confederations Cup players1998 FIFA World Cup players2002 FIFA World Cup players2006 FIFA World Cup playersA1 Grand Prix peopleA.C. Milan playersAssociation football forwardsBrazil international footballersBrazilian emigrants to SpainBrazilian expatriate footballersBrazilian expatriates in ItalyBrazilian expatriates in SpainBrazilian footballersCruzeiro Esporte Clube playersEredivisie playersEuropean Footballer of the Year winnersExpatriate footballers in ItalyExpatriate footballers in SpainExpatriate footballers in the NetherlandsFC Barcelona footballersInter Milan playersFIFA 100FIFA Confederations Cup-winning playersFIFA World Cup-winning playersFIFA World Player of the Year winnersFootballers at the 1996 Summer OlympicsLa Liga footballersLaureus World Sports Awards winnersLiving peopleNaturalised citizens of SpainOlympic bronze medalists for BrazilOlympic footballers of BrazilOlympic medalists in footballPeople from Rio de Janeiro (state)Pichichi Trophy winnersPSV Eindhoven playersReal Madrid C.F. playersSerie A footballersSport Club Corinthians Paulista playersWorld Soccer Magazine World Player of the Year winners
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