Ronaldo (Brazilian footballer)

Lore & Background

Ronaldo was born on 18 September 1976 in Itaguaí, the third child of Nélio Nazário de Lima Sr. and Sônia dos Santos Barata. His parents separated when he was 11, and he dropped out of school to pursue football. He played futsal for Valqueire Tenis Clube and Social Ramos, where he scored a record 166 goals in his first season. Spotted by former player Jairzinho, he joined São Cristóvão's youth team and later moved to Cruzeiro, making his professional debut on 25 May 1993. He scored 44 goals in 47 games for Cruzeiro, leading them to the 1993 Copa do Brasil and the 1994 Minas Gerais State Championship.

After the 1994 World Cup, Ronaldo joined PSV, scoring 30 league goals in his first season. He moved to Barcelona in 1996 for a then world record transfer fee and at age 20 became the youngest FIFA World Player of the Year. In 1997, Inter Milan broke the world record to sign him, making him the first player since Diego Maradona to break the world transfer record twice. At 21, he received the 1997 Ballon d'Or, the youngest recipient. After a series of knee injuries, he was inactive for almost three years. He joined Real Madrid in 2002, winning the 2002–03 La Liga title, and later played for AC Milan and Corinthians before retiring in 2011.

Reader's Guide

Ronaldo's significance lies in his transformative impact as a striker and his remarkable career arc. He was named FIFA World Player of the Year three times and won two Ballon d'Or awards. At the 1998 World Cup, he received the Golden Ball after helping Brazil reach the final, though he suffered a convulsive fit hours before kick-off. He won the 2002 World Cup, scoring twice in the final and earning the Golden Boot as top scorer, which was seen as redemption for 1998. At the 2006 World Cup, he scored his 15th World Cup goal, a tournament record at the time. He also won the 1997 and 1999 Copa América, earning player of the tournament and top goalscorer honors respectively. For Brazil, he scored 62 goals in 98 matches, making him the third-highest goalscorer for his national team. His individual accolades include being named in the FIFA 100 list, the Ballon d'Or Dream Team, and halls of fame in Brazil, Italy, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid. Off the field, he served as a United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador from 2000 and became majority owner of Real Valladolid in 2018 and controlling owner of Cruzeiro in 2021, selling his stake in Cruzeiro in April 2024.

Did You Know?

• Ronaldo is the youngest recipient of both the FIFA World Player of the Year award (at age 20) and the Ballon d'Or (at age 21).
• He scored 166 goals in his first futsal season with Social Ramos, including 11 goals in a single game.
• At the 2006 World Cup, he scored his 15th World Cup goal, a tournament record at the time.
• He became the first player since Diego Maradona to break the world transfer record twice.