Ronaldo
- For other footballers named Ronaldo, see Ronaldo (disambiguation).
Ronaldo Luiz Nazario de Lima, simply known as Ronaldo, is a Brazilian footballer who is widely considered to be one of the best strikers of all time. He was born on September 22, 1976.
In 1993, aged 16, he had already scored 59 goals in 57 matches for Brazil's under 17 squad. By 1994 he joined the squad of the national team but didn't get to play a single minute on the pitch of the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA.
In 1996/97, Ronaldo played arguably his best season, scoring numerous spectacular goals for FC Barcelona. One of them, a solo goal against Compostela, is considered one of the most amazing goals in football.
Chosen the World's best player in 1996 and 1997, he had a disappointing performance during the 1998 World Cup, scoring only 4 goals, and losing the final to hosts France after suffering a mysterious fit in the night before the final. The fit's circumstances still remain unclear and a source of speculation.
In April 1999, He married Milene Domingues, the marriage lasted 4 years ending in a divorce.
A year later he severely injured his right knee and was out of the game for several months. During his first comeback in 2000 he managed to play a few minutes during a league game against Lazio before injuring his knee for a second time.
After 2 operations and 20 months of rehabilitation, Ronaldo managed a comeback during the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He claimed the Golden Boot by scoring 8 goals during the tournament (and tied with Pelé for a Brazilian record 12 total World Cup goals), leading Brazil to win an unprecedented fifth World Championship. In 2002, he was awarded the title of the World's best soccer player for the third time and transferred to Real Madrid.
On June 2 2004, Ronaldo scored an unusual hat-trick for Brazil against archrivals Argentina in a CONMEBOL qualifier for the 2006 World Cup. He scored all of Brazil's goals in a 3-1 win via penalty kicks.
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