Ronaldo
Encyclopedia
Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima (χoˈnawdu luˈiz naˈzaɾiu dʒi ˈlimɐ; born 18 September 1976), commonly known as Ronaldo, is a retired Brazilian footballer who last played for Corinthians
. Ronaldo is widely considered to be the greatest 'pure' striker in the history of the modern game, and by some accounts, in the history of football. Ronaldo was one of the most prolific scorers in the world in the late 1990s and the early 2000s. He won his first Ballon d'Or as the European Footballer of the Year in 1997 (aged only 21) and again won the award in 2002
(26 years old). Additionally, he is one of only two men to have won the FIFA Player of the Year award three times, along with French footballer Zinedine Zidane
.
In 2007, he was named as one of the best starting eleven of all-time by France Football
and was named to the FIFA 100
, a list of the greatest footballers compiled by fellow countryman Pelé
. In 2010, he was voted Goal.com
's "Player of the Decade" in an online poll, gathering 43.63 percent of all votes and was also included as centre forward in the "Team of the Decade." On 23 February 2010, Ronaldo announced that he will retire after the 2011 season, signing a two-year contract extension with the Corinthians at the same time. He is widely considered by experts and fans as one of the greatest players of all time.
Ronaldo has played for Brazil
in 97 international matches, amassing 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 also the only player to have won the World Cup Golden Ball
and Golden Shoe
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.
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.
, 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 1988–1993. Ronaldo scored 30 league goals in his first season in Holland. 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, with 12 in his 13 appearances. With PSV, Ronaldo won the Dutch Cup in 1996 and he was Eredivisie top scorer in 1995.
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 an incredible 47 goals in 49 games (in all competitions) for Barça, 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.
signed him the following year for a then world record fee of £19 million. 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 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 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. 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.
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, , 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.
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. 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, Ronaldo was substituted on 80 mins and was given a standing ovation from both sets of fans. 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, were knocked out of the 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.
for a transfer of €8.05 million. 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 AC Milan to watch AC Milan in a cup tie against Roma
. Statements on the club's website said that Ronaldo was in AC Milan for a medical, and that a meeting had been arranged for Monday with Real Madrid officials to discuss and finalize his transfer to AC Milan. 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 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.
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 Milan Derby
, and is one of two players to have scored for both sides in the derby game (for Inter in the 98/99 season and for AC Milan in the 06/07 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 A.C. 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's 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. He was released by AC Milan at the end of the season, as his contract expired and was not renewed.
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
. 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.
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
. Ronaldo scored his first goal for Corinthians on 8 March 2009 in a Campeonato Paulista
match against Palmeiras
. He helped Corinthians win the Campeonato Paulista with 10 goals in 14 games.
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.
In February 2011, after Corinthians were eliminated from the 2011 Copa Libertadores by the Colombian team Deportes Tolima, Ronaldo announced his retirement from football.
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.
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 team-mate on the tournament, was also called Ronaldo and also nicknamed Ronaldão ("big Ronaldo") to further distinguish them. 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 centreback Ronaldo Guiaro
, two years his senior, was one of his teammates. Brazil went on to win the bronze medal in Atlanta.
in 1996 and 1997, he scored four goals and made three assists during the 1998 FIFA World Cup
. 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 did not perform well and he was injured in a collision with French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez
. Brazil lost the final to hosts France
3–0.
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."
, 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.
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
.
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. He played for 15 minutes in a match that ended with a Brazilian victory with a single goal from Fred
at the 21st minute. 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. As soon as the first half was over, Ronaldo made a speech to the crowd at the game.
>
1994
4
1
1995
6
3
1996
4
5
1997
20
15
1998
10
5
1999
10
7
2000
0
0
2001
0
0
2002
12
11
2003
8
3
2004
11
6
2005
5
1
2006
7
5
2007
0
0
2008
0
0
2009
0
0
2010
0
0
2011
1
0
Total
98
62
PSV
Barcelona
Inter Milan
Real Madrid
Corinthians
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. Although never marrying, they began a long-term relationship and lived together in Milan
until the beginning of 1999.
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 April 6, 2000). 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).
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
. Upon discovering that they were men, Ronaldo offered them $600 to leave.
One of the three, however, André Luís Ribeiro Albertini (better known as Andréia Albertini), demanded $30,000 and exposed the case to the media. 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." Ronaldo's engagement to Maria Beatriz Antony was cancelled immediately after the prostitution scandal 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
. 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. In December 2010, Ronaldo and his family moved to a new mansion
in São Paulo. 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. 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
.
Since 2005, Ronaldo has been the co-owner of A1 Team Brazil
, along with Brazilian motorsports legend Emerson Fittipaldi
. Ronaldo is set to become President of Brazil 2014.
Sport Club Corinthians Paulista
Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, commonly just known as Corinthians , is a Brazilian football club based in the city of São Paulo. They play in the São Paulo state league, as well as the Brasileirão, Brazil's top national league...
. Ronaldo is widely considered to be the greatest 'pure' striker in the history of the modern game, and by some accounts, in the history of football. Ronaldo was one of the most prolific scorers in the world in the late 1990s and the early 2000s. He won his first Ballon d'Or as the European Footballer of the Year in 1997 (aged only 21) and again won the award in 2002
Ballon d'Or 2002
The 2002 Ballon d'Or, given to the best football player in Europe as judged by a panel of sports journalists from UEFA member countries, was awarded to Ronaldo on 12 December 2002...
(26 years old). Additionally, he is one of only two men to have won the FIFA Player of the Year award three times, along with French footballer Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
.
In 2007, he was named as one of the best starting eleven of all-time by France Football
France Football
France Football is a French bi-weekly magazine containing football news from all over the world. It's one of the most reputable sports publications in Europe, mostly because of their photographic reports and accurate statistics of the big European Cup matches, and extensive coverage of the European...
and was named to the FIFA 100
FIFA 100
The FIFA 100 is a list of the world-renowned Brazilian striker Pelé's choice of the "greatest living footballers". Unveiled on 4 March 2004 at a gala ceremony in London, the FIFA 100 marked part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Fédération Internationale de...
, a list of the greatest footballers compiled by fellow countryman Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
. In 2010, he was voted Goal.com
Goal.com
Goal.com, founded in 2004 by Chicco Merighi and former Ferrari Maserati and Ralph Lauren President and CEO Gian Luigi Longinotti-Buitoni, is a website for international football news. Goal.com represents the largest football community in the world, with 22 language versions, covering over 200...
's "Player of the Decade" in an online poll, gathering 43.63 percent of all votes and was also included as centre forward in the "Team of the Decade." On 23 February 2010, Ronaldo announced that he will retire after the 2011 season, signing a two-year contract extension with the Corinthians at the same time. He is widely considered by experts and fans as one of the greatest players of all time.
Ronaldo has played for Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
in 97 international matches, amassing 62 goals. He was a part of the Brazilian squad that won the 1994
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
and 2002
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
World Cups
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
. During the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, Ronaldo became the highest goalscorer
FIFA World Cup records
This is a list of records of the FIFA World Cup and its qualification matches.-Most championships:5, -Most finishes in the top two:7, ,...
in the history of the World Cup with his fifteenth goal, surpassing Gerd Müller
Gerd Müller
Gerhard "Gerd" Müller is a former German football player and one of the most prolific goalscorers of all time.With national records of 68 goals in 62 international appearances, 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga games and the international record of 66 goals in 74 European Club games, he was one of the...
's previous record of 14. He is also the only player to have won the World Cup Golden Ball
FIFA World Cup awards
At the end of each FIFA World Cup final tournament, several awards are attributed to the players and teams which have distinguished from the rest, in different aspects of the game.These are awards granted during the men's senior tournament...
and Golden Shoe
FIFA World Cup awards
At the end of each FIFA World Cup final tournament, several awards are attributed to the players and teams which have distinguished from the rest, in different aspects of the game.These are awards granted during the men's senior tournament...
in separate tournaments. Having suffered a string of serious injuries throughout his career, Ronaldo retired on 14 February 2011, citing pain
Pain
Pain is an unpleasant sensation often caused by intense or damaging stimuli such as stubbing a toe, burning a finger, putting iodine on a cut, and bumping the "funny bone."...
and hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone.Iodine deficiency is the most common cause of hypothyroidism worldwide but it can be caused by other causes such as several conditions of the thyroid gland or, less commonly, the pituitary gland or...
as the reasons for his premature retirement.
1993: Cruzeiro
In 1993, Ronaldo began his football career playing for CruzeiroCruzeiro Esporte Clube
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football team, from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Internacional. Founded on January 2, 1921, they are only one of three clubs to have participated in...
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
Copa do Brasil
The Copa Kia do Brasil, commonly known as Copa do Brasil , is a knockout competition played by 64 association football teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District...
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 Cup1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
, for he was selected despite being just 17, but did not play. It was Romário
Romário
Romário de Souza Faria , better known simply as Romário , is a former footballer who played striker,manager and current politician where is currently running for a mayor like position in his hometown...
who advised Ronaldo to start his European career at PSV; Romário being a former striker of the team from 1988–1993. Ronaldo scored 30 league goals in his first season in Holland. 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, with 12 in his 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 notably Inter MilanF.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
and FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
. It was Barcelona that was willing to pay the then record fee of $17 million. During the 1996–97 season Ronaldo scored an incredible 47 goals in 49 games (in all competitions) for Barça, leading the Catalan side to UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1996-97
The season 1996-97 of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was won by FC Barcelona after beating holders Paris Saint-Germain in the final. It was the last of four occasions that the Catalan club won the tournament.-Qualifying round:-First leg:...
triumph (where he capped the season with the winning goal in the cup final itself) and to Copa del Rey
Copa del Rey
The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
and Supercopa de España
Supercopa de España
The Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...
wins. He also won La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
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
FIFA World Player of the Year
The FIFA World Player of the Year was an association football award given annually to the male and female player who were thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams...
in 1996. He also finished runner-up for the Ballon d'Or.
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 MilanF.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
signed him the following year for a then world record fee of £19 million. Ronaldo duly helped them repeat his former side's cup-winning run, this time in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup 1997-98
The UEFA Cup 1997–98 was won by Internazionale comfortably in an all-Italian final against Lazio. It was their third title in eight years in the competition....
, in which he scored their third goal in the final
1998 UEFA Cup Final
The 1998 UEFA Cup Final was a football match played at Parc des Princes in Paris on 6 May 1998 between Internazionale and Lazio of Italy. Internazionale won the match 3–0. It was the first single-legged UEFA Cup final.-Match details:...
itself.
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 A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
in the Derby della Madonnina
Derby della Madonnina
Derby della Madonnina, or the Milan Derby as it is sometimes known, is a football match between the Italian clubs Associazione Calcio Milan and Football Club Internazionale Milano. It is a hotly contested local derby and is one of the most followed derbies in football...
. 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
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
, 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. During his first comeback on 12 April 2000, he played only seven minutes during the first leg of the Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
final against Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
before injuring his knee for a second time.
After two operations and months of rehabilitation, Ronaldo came back for the 2002 World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, helping Brazil win their fifth World Cup title. Later in 2002, he won the World Player of the Year
FIFA World Player of the Year
The FIFA World Player of the Year was an association football award given annually to the male and female player who were thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams...
award for the third time, and transferred from Inter to Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
. Ronaldo was given his most recognizable nickname, , 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
Having signed for Real Madrid C.F.Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
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
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is an all-seater football stadium in Madrid, Spain. It was inaugurated on 14 December 1947 and is owned by Real Madrid Club de Fútbol. It has a current capacity of 85,454 spectators....
. That same reception was observed on the night of the final game of the season against Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Club, also known as Athletic Bilbao, is an association football club from Bilbao in Biscay, Spain. The club has played in the Primera División of La Liga since its start in 1928. They have won La Liga on eight occasions...
, where Ronaldo scored again to seal his first season with 23 league goals and the La Liga Championship
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
title for 2003. With Madrid, he also won an Intercontinental Cup
Intercontinental Cup (football)
The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
in 2002 and Spanish Super Cup in 2003. In the second leg of Real Madrid's Champions League quarter-final, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
at Old Trafford, knocking the English team out of the competition, Ronaldo was substituted on 80 mins and was given a standing ovation from both sets of fans. 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, were knocked out of the 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
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
. With the acquisition of Ruud van Nistelrooy
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals...
in 2006, Ronaldo grew more and more out of favour with the manager Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello is an Italian football manager and former player. He is the manager of the England national football team.Capello has the distinction of winning the domestic league title with every club he has coached throughout his career...
due to injuries and weight issues.
2007–2008: AC Milan
On 18 January 2007, it was reported that Ronaldo agreed terms with A.C. MilanA.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
for a transfer of €8.05 million. 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
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
to AC Milan to watch AC Milan in a cup tie against Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
. Statements on the club's website said that Ronaldo was in AC Milan for a medical, and that a meeting had been arranged for Monday with Real Madrid officials to discuss and finalize his transfer to AC Milan. 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 and got the squad number 99. He made his debut as a substitute on 11 February 2007, during the 2–1 victory over Livorno
A.S. Livorno Calcio
Associazione Sportiva Livorno Calcio is an Italian football club based in Livorno, Tuscany. The club was formed in 1915 and currently plays in Italian Serie B. The team's colors are dark red or maroon...
. The next game at Siena
A.C. Siena
Associazione Calcio Siena is an Italian football club based in Siena.The club currently plays in Serie A, having gained promotion from Serie B at the end of the 2010-2011 season....
, 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.
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 Milan Derby
Derby della Madonnina
Derby della Madonnina, or the Milan Derby as it is sometimes known, is a football match between the Italian clubs Associazione Calcio Milan and Football Club Internazionale Milano. It is a hotly contested local derby and is one of the most followed derbies in football...
, and is one of two players to have scored for both sides in the derby game (for Inter in the 98/99 season and for AC Milan in the 06/07 season), the other player being Zlatan Ibrahimović
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimović is a Swedish footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Milan and the Swedish national team for which he is captain....
. Ronaldo is also one of the few players to have started for Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
and FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
, 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
U.S. Lecce
Unione Sportiva Lecce or simply U.S. Lecce is an Italian football club based in Lecce, Apulia who play in the Italian Serie A. After being crowned Serie B champions in 2009–10, the team successfully managed to avoid relegation in 2010-11....
in pre-season, came in a 5–2 victory against Napoli
S.S.C. Napoli
Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....
at the San Siro
San Siro
The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, originally and commonly referred to as the San Siro because of its location, officially given its current name on 3 March 1980, is a football stadium located in the San Siro district in Milan, Italy. It is the home of both A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano...
, where he scored an emotional brace. It was also the first time AC Milan's much hyped attacking trio of Kaká
Kaká
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite , commonly known as Kaká , is a Brazilian football attacking midfielder who currently plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team. Kaká started his footballing career at the age of eight, when he began playing for a local club...
, Alexandre Pato
Alexandre Pato
Alexandre Rodrigues da Silva , commonly known as Alexandre Pato or simply Pato, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Italian Serie A club Milan and the Brazilian national team. His nickname, Pato, refers to his place of birth, Pato Branco...
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
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
in his club career. During the 2006–07 season, though A.C. Milan won the 2006–07 title
UEFA Champions League 2006-07
The 2006–07 UEFA Champions League was the 15th season of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, since it was rebranded from the European Cup, and the 52nd season overall. The final was contested by Milan and Liverpool on 23 May 2007...
, Ronaldo was cup-tied
Cup-tied
Cup-tied is an adjective, used primarily in association football, to describe a player who is ineligible to play in a knockout cup competition after transferring from another club during that competition.-Application:...
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
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
.
On 13 February 2008, Ronaldo suffered a severe season-ending knee injury while jumping for a cross in AC Milan's 1–1 draw with Livorno
A.S. Livorno Calcio
Associazione Sportiva Livorno Calcio is an Italian football club based in Livorno, Tuscany. The club was formed in 1915 and currently plays in Italian Serie B. The team's colors are dark red or maroon...
, and was stretchered off and taken to a hospital. The club confirmed after the match that Ronaldo had ruptured the kneecap ligament
Patellar ligament
The patellar ligament is the central portion of the common tendon of the Quadriceps femoris, which is continued from the patella to the tuberosity of the tibia.-Anatomy:It is a strong, flat, ligament, about 10 cm...
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. He was released by AC Milan at the end of the season, as his contract expired and was not renewed.
2009–2011: Corinthians
Ronaldo trained with FlamengoClube de Regatas do Flamengo
Clube de Regatas do Flamengo , also known as Flamengo and familiarly as Mengão, is a Brazilian sports club based in the Flamengo bairro, Zona Sul, Rio de Janeiro, best known for its professional football team...
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
Sport Club Corinthians Paulista
Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, commonly just known as Corinthians , is a Brazilian football club based in the city of São Paulo. They play in the São Paulo state league, as well as the Brasileirão, Brazil's top national league...
. 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.
Ronaldo played his first match for Corinthians on 4 March 2009, a Copa do Brasil
Copa do Brasil
The Copa Kia do Brasil, commonly known as Copa do Brasil , is a knockout competition played by 64 association football teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District...
match against Itumbiara
Itumbiara Esporte Clube
Itumbiara Esporte Clube, usually known simply as Itumbiara is a Brazilian football club from Itumbiara, Goiás state. The club competed in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A in 1979 and won the state championship in 2008.-History:...
at Estádio Juscelino Kubitschek
Estádio JK
Estádio Municipal Juscelino Kubitschek, usually known as Estádio JK, is a multi-use stadium in Itumbiara, Goiás, Brazil. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium holds 33,000. It was built in 1977....
, in which he came as a substitute for Jorge Henrique
Jorge Henrique de Souza
Jorge Henrique de Souza or simply Jorge Henrique , is a Brazilian striker. He currently plays for Corinthians.-Honours:*Pernambuco State League: 2004*Paraná State League: 2005*Rio de Janeiro's Cup: 2007, 2008...
. Ronaldo scored his first goal for Corinthians on 8 March 2009 in a Campeonato Paulista
Campeonato Paulista
The Campeonato Paulista de Futebol Profissional da Primeira Divisão - Série A1, simply known as the Campeonato Paulista, is the top-flight professional football league in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. The league is contested between 20 clubs and typically lasts from January to April...
match against Palmeiras
Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras
Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras is a Brazilian football club from São Paulo. The club was founded on August 26, 1914, as Palestra Italia but changed to the current name on September 14, 1942...
. He helped Corinthians win the Campeonato Paulista with 10 goals in 14 games.
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
Goiás Esporte Clube
Goiás Esporte Clube, also known as Goiás, is a Brazilian football team in Goiânia, Goiás state. It is one of the largest clubs of the Central-Western part of Brazil and they won the 'Série B once.Its main rival is Vila Nova...
. On 27 September 2009, he scored for Corinthians in the 1–1 draw against São Paulo FC. He finished the Brazilian Serie A 2009
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 2009
The 2009 Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A was the 39th season of the Série A, the top-level of professional football in Brazil. It was contested by 20 clubs starting on May 9 and ending on December 6...
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.
In February 2011, after Corinthians were eliminated from the 2011 Copa Libertadores by the Colombian team Deportes Tolima, Ronaldo announced his retirement from football.
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.
International career
Ronaldo made his international debut for BrazilBrazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
in 1994, in a friendly match in Recife
Recife
Recife is the fifth-largest metropolitan area in Brazil with 4,136,506 inhabitants, the largest metropolitan area of the North/Northeast Regions, the 5th-largest metropolitan influence area in Brazil, and the capital and largest city of the state of Pernambuco. The population of the city proper...
against Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
. He went to the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
in the United States as a 17-year-old, but did not play. He came to be known as Ronaldinho ("little Ronaldo" in Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
), because Ronaldo Rodrigues de Jesus
Ronaldo Rodrigues de Jesus
Ronaldo Rodrigues de Jesus is a former Brazilian national team defensive football player, better known on the football pitch as Ronaldo and Ronaldão ....
, his older team-mate on the tournament, was also called Ronaldo and also nicknamed Ronaldão ("big Ronaldo") to further distinguish them. Another Brazilian player, Ronaldo de Assis Moreira
Ronaldinho
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira , commonly known as Ronaldinho or Ronaldinho Gaúcho, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Flamengo and the Brazilian national team as an attacking midfielder or forward. He is a two-time winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year, awarded to the best player over the year...
, who is widely known as Ronaldinho, would come to be called Ronaldinho Gaúcho
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
when he joined the Brazilian main national team in 1999.
In the 1996 Olympic Games
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
in Atlanta, Ronaldo played with the name Ronaldinho on his shirt, since centreback Ronaldo Guiaro
Ronaldo Guiaro
Ronaldo Guiaro , known as Ronaldo, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a central defender.-Club career:...
, two years his senior, was one of his teammates. Brazil went on to win the bronze medal in Atlanta.
1998 FIFA World Cup
Voted the FIFA World Player of the YearFIFA World Player of the Year
The FIFA World Player of the Year was an association football award given annually to the male and female player who were thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams...
in 1996 and 1997, he scored four goals and made three assists during the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
. The night before the final, he suffered a convulsive fit
Seizure
An epileptic seizure, occasionally referred to as a fit, is defined as a transient symptom of "abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain". The outward effect can be as dramatic as a wild thrashing movement or as mild as a brief loss of awareness...
. 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
Mário Zagallo
Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo is a Brazilian former football player and manager.-Biography:Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo was born in Maceió, Alagoas, to a family of Lebanese and Italian heritage....
. Ronaldo did not perform well and he was injured in a collision with French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez
Fabien Barthez
Fabien Alain Barthez is a former French footballer goalkeeper who won honours with Manchester United and the French national team, with whom he won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000 and reached the final of the 2006 World Cup. He shares the record for the most World Cup finals clean sheets...
. Brazil lost the final to hosts France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
3–0.
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."
2002 FIFA World Cup
During the 2002 FIFA World Cup2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, Ronaldo again led the national team to their record fifth championship and won the Golden Shoe
FIFA World Cup awards
At the end of each FIFA World Cup final tournament, several awards are attributed to the players and teams which have distinguished from the rest, in different aspects of the game.These are awards granted during the men's senior tournament...
as top scorer with eight goals and was runner-up to the Golden Ball
FIFA World Cup awards
At the end of each FIFA World Cup final tournament, several awards are attributed to the players and teams which have distinguished from the rest, in different aspects of the game.These are awards granted during the men's senior tournament...
as most valuable player in the tournament. He also scored against every opponent in the tournament except in the quarter-finals against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
. In the final match against Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
, Ronaldo scored his 11th and 12th goals to a round of applause and tied Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
's Brazilian record of 12 career World Cup goals.
2006 FIFA World Cup
On 2 June 2004, Ronaldo scored an unusual hat-trickHat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
of penalties for Brazil against arch-rivals Argentina in a 2006 World Cup qualifying match
2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for South America. 10 teams took part, all in a single group. The rules were very simple: the teams would play against each other in a home-and-away basis, with the four teams with most points qualifying to...
.
At the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, although Brazil won their first two group games against Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
and Australia, respectively, Ronaldo was repeatedly jeered for being overweight and slow. Nonetheless, coach Carlos Alberto Parreira
Carlos Alberto Parreira
Carlos Alberto Gomes Parreira is a Brazilian former football manager. He managed Brazil to championships at the 1994 World Cup, the 2004 Copa América, and the 2005 Confederations Cup...
kept him in the starting lineup in face of calls to have Ronaldo replaced. With his two goals against Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in 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
Gerd Müller
Gerhard "Gerd" Müller is a former German football player and one of the most prolific goalscorers of all time.With national records of 68 goals in 62 international appearances, 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga games and the international record of 66 goals in 74 European Club games, he was one of the...
(Ronaldo scored at France 98
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
, Korea/Japan 2002
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
and Germany 2006
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
). and then broke Müller's record in the Round of 16 match against Ghana
Ghana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
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
Jürgen Klinsmann
Jürgen Klinsmann is a German football manager and former player who is currently the coach of the United States Men's National Team. As a player, Klinsmann played for several prominent clubs in Europe and was part of the West German team that won the 1990 FIFA World Cup and the German one that...
, 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
Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Josef Klose is a German footballer who plays as a striker for Lazio in the Serie A. Since bursting onto the international stage at the 2002 World Cup, he has become well known for his knack of scoring headers, front-flip goal celebrations, and decisive short passing.Klose holds German...
, who now has a record of at least four goals in each of three tournaments, having netted five at both the 2002
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
and 2006 finals
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, and four at the 2010 tournament
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
.
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 RomaniaRomania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
was held in São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
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. He played for 15 minutes in a match that ended with a Brazilian victory with a single goal from Fred
Helbert Frederico Carreiro da Silva
Helbert Frederico Carreiro da Silva, commonly known as Fred is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays for A-League club Melbourne Heart, and is also the team captain.-Brazil:...
at the 21st minute. 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. As soon as the first half was over, Ronaldo made a speech to the crowd at the game.
World Cup goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | World Cup | Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 16 June 1998 | Stade de la Beaujoire Stade de la Beaujoire The Stade de la Beaujoire - Louis Fonteneau, or "Stade de la Beaujoire", is a stadium in Nantes, France. It is the home of the FC Nantes football club.... , Nantes Nantes Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants.... , France |
1 – 0 | 3–0 | 1998 1998 FIFA World Cup The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final... |
Group stage | |
| 2. | 27 June 1998 | Parc des Princes Parc des Princes The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed... , Paris, France |
3 – 0 | 4–1 | 1998 1998 FIFA World Cup The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final... |
Round of 16 1998 FIFA World Cup knockout stage The 1998 FIFA World Cup knockout stage covers the games from the last-16 through to final at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. The top two teams from each of the eight groups qualified for the knockout stage... |
|
| 3. | 27 June 1998 | Parc des Princes Parc des Princes The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed... , Paris, France |
4 – 1 | 4–1 | 1998 1998 FIFA World Cup The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final... |
Round of 16 1998 FIFA World Cup knockout stage The 1998 FIFA World Cup knockout stage covers the games from the last-16 through to final at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. The top two teams from each of the eight groups qualified for the knockout stage... |
|
| 4. | 7 July 1998 | Stade Vélodrome Stade Vélodrome The Stade Vélodrome is a football stadium in Marseille, France. It is home to the Olympique de Marseille football club of Ligue 1, and was a venue in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2007 Rugby World Cup. It is the largest club-football ground in France, with a capacity of 60,031 spectators,... , Marseille Marseille Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of... , France |
1 – 0 | 1–1 | 1998 1998 FIFA World Cup The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final... |
Semi-final 1998 FIFA World Cup knockout stage The 1998 FIFA World Cup knockout stage covers the games from the last-16 through to final at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. The top two teams from each of the eight groups qualified for the knockout stage... |
|
| 5. | 3 June 2002 | Munsu Cup Stadium Munsu Cup Stadium Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium, nicknamed Big Crown Stadium, is a stadium in Ulsan in South Korea. It is home to the Ulsan Hyundai FC.The stadium was built from 18 December 1998 to 28 April 2001 and its total cost was 151.4 billion won .Located in a major industrial city, the Ulsan Munsu football... , Ulsan Ulsan Ulsan , officially the Ulsan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's seventh largest metropolis with a population of over 1.1 million. It is located in the south-east of the country, neighboring Busan to the south and facing Gyeongju to the north and the Sea of Japan to the east.Ulsan is the... , Korea Republic |
1 – 1 | 2–1 | 2002 2002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0... |
Group stage | |
| 6. | 8 June 2002 | Jeju World Cup Stadium Jeju World Cup Stadium Jeju World Cup Stadium is a football stadium with a 42,256-person capacity that is located in the city of Seogwipo on the small South Korean island province of Jeju-do... , Seogwipo Seogwipo Seogwipo is a city in Jeju Province, South Korea with a pre-2008 estimated population of 155,000 inhabitants. In July, 2006, Seogwipo city was expanded to include the entire southern half of Jeju island. In 2002, it was one of the host cities for the FIFA World Cup.-Climate:-External links:*... , Korea Republic |
4 – 0 | 4–0 | 2002 2002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0... |
Group stage | |
| 7. | 13 June 2002 | Suwon World Cup Stadium Suwon World Cup Stadium The Suwon World Cup Stadium, which seats 43,288, in the Korean city of Suwon, has been home to K-League football side Suwon Samsung Bluewings since 2001.- International Matches :The stadium is famous for hosting several international matches... , Suwon Suwon Suwon is the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. A major city of over a million inhabitants, Suwon lies approximately south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety".... , Korea Republic |
0 – 1 | 2–5 | 2002 2002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0... |
Group stage | |
| 8. | 13 June 2002 | Suwon World Cup Stadium Suwon World Cup Stadium The Suwon World Cup Stadium, which seats 43,288, in the Korean city of Suwon, has been home to K-League football side Suwon Samsung Bluewings since 2001.- International Matches :The stadium is famous for hosting several international matches... , Suwon Suwon Suwon is the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. A major city of over a million inhabitants, Suwon lies approximately south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety".... , Korea Republic |
0 – 2 | 2–5 | 2002 2002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0... |
Group stage | |
| 9. | 17 June 2002 | Kobe Wing Stadium Kobe Wing Stadium , nicknamed , called Home's Stadium Kobe for the J. League association football events and the rugby football Top League events, is a football stadium in Misaki Park, Hyogo-ku, Kobe, Japan. The stadium's capacity is 30,132. This stadium, which features a retractable roof, is the home ground of J... , Kobe Kobe , pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka... , Japan |
2 – 0 | 2–0 | 2002 2002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0... |
Round of 16 2002 FIFA World Cup knockout stage At the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the knockout stage was the second and final stage of the tournament, following the group stage. The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage to compete in a single-elimination style tournament... |
|
| 10. | 26 June 2002 | Saitama Stadium, Saitama Saitama, Saitama ' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance... , Japan |
1 – 0 | 1–0 | 2002 2002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0... |
Semi-final 2002 FIFA World Cup knockout stage At the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the knockout stage was the second and final stage of the tournament, following the group stage. The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage to compete in a single-elimination style tournament... |
|
| 11. | 30 June 2002 | International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama Yokohama is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu... , Japan |
0 – 1 | 0–2 | 2002 2002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0... |
Final 2002 FIFA World Cup Final The 2002 FIFA World Cup Final the final match of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, played between Germany and Brazil at the International Stadium in Yokohama, Japan. It was the first World Cup meeting between the two sides. Brazil won the match 2–0, winning a record fifth title... |
|
| 12. | 30 June 2002 | International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama Yokohama is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu... , Japan |
0 – 2 | 0–2 | 2002 2002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0... |
Final 2002 FIFA World Cup Final The 2002 FIFA World Cup Final the final match of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, played between Germany and Brazil at the International Stadium in Yokohama, Japan. It was the first World Cup meeting between the two sides. Brazil won the match 2–0, winning a record fifth title... |
|
| 13. | 22 June 2006 | Westfalenstadion Westfalenstadion Westfalenstadion is an association football stadium in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the home stadium of the Borussia Dortmund football team playing in the German Bundesliga.... , Dortmund Dortmund Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union.... , Germany |
1 – 1 | 1–4 | 2006 2006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six... |
Group stage | |
| 14. | 22 June 2006 | Westfalenstadion Westfalenstadion Westfalenstadion is an association football stadium in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the home stadium of the Borussia Dortmund football team playing in the German Bundesliga.... , Dortmund Dortmund Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union.... , Germany |
1 – 4 | 1–4 | 2006 2006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six... |
Group stage | |
| 15. | 27 June 2006 | Westfalenstadion Westfalenstadion Westfalenstadion is an association football stadium in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the home stadium of the Borussia Dortmund football team playing in the German Bundesliga.... , Dortmund Dortmund Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union.... , Germany |
1 – 0 | 3–0 | 2006 2006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six... |
Round of 16 2006 FIFA World Cup knockout stage In the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the knockout stage was the second and final stage of the World Cup, following the group stage. The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage to compete in a single-elimination style tournament... |
Club
| Season | Club | League | League | Regional League |
Cups | Continental |
Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| 1993 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 1993 -Overview:It was performed in 32 teams, and Palmeiras won the championship.-Format:The first phase of the season had the 32 teams divided into four groups of eight teams. The top three teams from group A and group B qualified for the second phase. The top two teams from group C and group D would... |
Cruzeiro Cruzeiro Esporte Clube Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football team, from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Internacional. Founded on January 2, 1921, they are only one of three clubs to have participated in... |
Série A Campeonato Brasileiro Série A The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B... |
14 | 12 | 2 | 0 | ||||||||
| 4 | 8 | 1 | 0 | |21 | 20 | |||||||||
| 1994 | ||||||||||||||
| 18 | 22 | |||||||||||||
| 8 | 2 | |||||||||||||
| 26 | 24 | |||||||||||||
| Total | 14 | 12 | 20 | 22 | - | - | 12 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 44 | ||
| 1994–95 Eredivisie 1994-95 The Dutch Eredivisie in the 1994/1995 season was contested by 18 teams. Ajax won the championship. Starting this season, clubs qualifying for the Intertoto Cup can play for a spot in the UEFA Cup.-League standings:1 Winners KNVB Cup.... |
PSV | Eredivisie Eredivisie The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA.... |
33 | 30 | ||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||||
| 36 | 35 | |||||||||||||
| 1995–96 Eredivisie 1995-96 The Dutch Eredivisie in the 1995/1996 season was contested by 18 teams. Ajax won the championship. From this season onwards a match win was rewarded with 3 points instead of 2.-League standings:1 Winners KNVB Cup... |
13 | 12 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | 1 | 5 | 6 | |||||||||||
| 21 | 19 | |||||||||||||
| Total | 46 | 42 | - | - | 4 | 3 | 7 | 9 | - | - | 57 | 54 | ||
| 1996–97 La Liga 1996-97 * It was the last season with 22 teams in La Liga. To reduce the number of teams in the league, the last four teams, CF Extremadura, Sevilla FC, Hércules CF and CD Logroñés, were relegated and the fifth-to-last team, Rayo Vallecano, played a relegation playoff and was also relegated.-League... |
Barcelona FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.... |
La Liga La Liga The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system... |
37 | 34 | ||||||||||
| 4 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 49 | 47 | |||||||
| Total | 37 | 34 | - | - | 4 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 49 | 47 | ||
| 1997–98 Serie A 1997-98 Juventus won the title in controversial circumstances. In their match on Sunday, 26 April 1998, against eventual runners-up, Inter, Ronaldo was denied what appeared a clear penalty for Inter after being blocked by Mark Iuliano of Juventus. Had the penalty been awarded and then dispatched, the... |
Inter Milan F.C. Internazionale Milano Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always... |
Serie A Serie A Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new... |
32 | 25 | ||||||||||
| 4 | 3 | 11 | 6 | |||||||||||
| 47 | 34 | |||||||||||||
| 1998–99 Serie A 1998-99 AC Milan won their 16th Scudetto, led by coach Alberto Zaccheroni. Lazio finished second, losing the title on the last day. Inter with an often Injured or rested Ronaldo had a disastrous season, finishing in 8th position, whereas Juventus impressive start was cut short by a bad injury to Alessandro... |
19 | 14 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 15 | |||||||
| 1999–00 Serie A 1999-00 Lazio won the title on the final day of the season in controversial cirumstances. Juventus, the only other team left in contention on the day lost their match against Perugia in terrible conditions at a rain-sodden Stadio Renato Curi, many considering the pitch unplayable. Pierluigi Collina the... |
7 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 8 | 3 | |||||||||||||
| 2000–01 Serie A 2000-01 In the 2000-01 season, Serie A, the major football Italian professional league, was composed by 18 teams, for the 13th consecutive time from season 1988-89.... |
0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||
| 2001–02 Serie A 2001-02 In the 2001-02 season, the Serie A, the major football Italian professional league, was composed by 18 teams, for the 14th consecutive time from season 1988-89.... |
10 | 7 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 16 | 7 | |||||||||||||
| Total | 68 | 49 | - | - | 8 | 3 | 22 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 99 | 59 | ||
| 2002–03 | Real Madrid Real Madrid C.F. Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la... |
La Liga La Liga The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system... |
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 | |||||||||||||
| Total | 127 | 83 | - | - | 11 | 4 | 36 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 177 | 104 | ||
| 2006–07 Serie A 2006-07 The Serie A 2006–2007 season began September 10, 2006. It was scheduled to begin on August 26 and 27, but was then postponed due to the Serie A scandal of 2006. It is the 104th Italian championship ever held, the first without the presence of Juventus, and the 75th Serie A league, the first... |
AC Milan A.C. Milan Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others... |
Serie A Serie A Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new... |
14 | 7 | ||||||||||
| 14 | 7 | |||||||||||||
| 2007–08 Serie A 2007-08 The 2007-08 Serie A football season was the seventy-sixth since its establishment, and started on August 26, 2007 and ended on May 18, 2008. Internazionale successfully defended the championship on the final day of the season, finishing first with 85 points, three ahead of Roma.-Plusvalenze... |
6 | 2 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Total | 20 | 9 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 20 | 9 | ||
| 2009 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 2009 The 2009 Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A was the 39th season of the Série A, the top-level of professional football in Brazil. It was contested by 20 clubs starting on May 9 and ending on December 6... |
Corinthians Sport Club Corinthians Paulista Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, commonly just known as Corinthians , is a Brazilian football club based in the city of São Paulo. They play in the São Paulo state league, as well as the Brasileirão, Brazil's top national league... |
Série A Campeonato Brasileiro Série A The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B... |
20 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 3 | ||||||
| 38 | 23 | |||||||||||||
| 2010 2010 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A The 2010 Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A was the 40th season of the Série A, the top-level of professional football in Brazil. It began on May 8 and ended on December 5. Flamengo came as the defending champion having won the 2009 season.-Format:... |
11 | 6 | 9 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 7 | 3 | |||||||||||||
| 27 | 12 | |||||||||||||
| 2011 2011 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A The 2011 Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A is the 41st season of the Série A, the top-level of professional football in Brazil. It began on May 21 and is scheduled to end on December 4... |
||||||||||||||
| 2 | 0 | |||||||||||||
| 2 | 0 | |||||||||||||
| 4 | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Total | 31 | 18 | 21 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 3 | - | - | 69 | 35 | ||
| Career totals | 343 | 247 | 41 | 33 | 35 | 19 | 93 | 49 | 6 | 4 | 518 | 352 | ||
- Other - Recopa SudamericanaRecopa SudamericanaThe Recopa Sudamericana is an annual football match-up between the reigning champions of the previous year's Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana, South America's premier club competitions....
, Supercopa de EspañaSupercopa de EspañaThe Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...
, Intercontinental CupIntercontinental Cup (football)The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
, & UEFA Cup Play-Off (at Coppa Italia)
List of Goals for Barcelona (47)
| No. | Opponent | H/A | Date | Comp. | Round | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlético Madrid | Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... |
25/08/96 | Supercopa 1996 Supercopa de España The 1996 Supercopa de España was two-leg Spanish football matches played on 25 August and 28 August 1996. It contested by FC Barcelona, who were Spanish Cup runners-up in 1995–96, and Atlético Madrid, who won the 1995–96 Spanish League and the 1995–96 Spanish Cup. FC Barcelona won 6–5 on... |
Final | 1-0 | 5-2 |
| Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... | 25/08/96 | Supercopa 1996 Supercopa de España The 1996 Supercopa de España was two-leg Spanish football matches played on 25 August and 28 August 1996. It contested by FC Barcelona, who were Spanish Cup runners-up in 1995–96, and Atlético Madrid, who won the 1995–96 Spanish League and the 1995–96 Spanish Cup. FC Barcelona won 6–5 on... |
Final | 5-2 | 5-2 | ||
| AEK Larnaca AEK Larnaca AEK Larnaca FC |Kition]] Athletic Union") is a Cypriot Sports club, based in the port of Larnaca. The club was formed in 1994 after a merger of two Larnaca clubs: EPA Larnaca and Pezoporikos. The club has football section, basketball sections for men AEK Larnaca B.C... | Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... |
12/09/96 | UEFA CWC UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1996-97 The season 1996-97 of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was won by FC Barcelona after beating holders Paris Saint-Germain in the final. It was the last of four occasions that the Catalan club won the tournament.-Qualifying round:-First leg:... |
1st | 1-0 | 2-0 | |
| AEK Larnaca AEK Larnaca AEK Larnaca FC |Kition]] Athletic Union") is a Cypriot Sports club, based in the port of Larnaca. The club was formed in 1994 after a merger of two Larnaca clubs: EPA Larnaca and Pezoporikos. The club has football section, basketball sections for men AEK Larnaca B.C... | Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... |
12/09/96 | UEFA CWC UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1996-97 The season 1996-97 of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was won by FC Barcelona after beating holders Paris Saint-Germain in the final. It was the last of four occasions that the Catalan club won the tournament.-Qualifying round:-First leg:... |
1st | 2-0 | 2-0 | |
| Away El Sardinero Sardinero may refer to:*Estadio El Sardinero, a sports stadium in Santander, Cantabria, Spain*Sardinero, a beach in Santander, Cantabria, Spain... | 15/09/96 | La Liga | Week 3 | 0-1 | 1-1 | ||
| Real Sociedad Real Sociedad Real Sociedad de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in the city of San Sebastián, Basque Country, founded on 7 September 1909... | Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... |
22/09/96 | La Liga | Week 4 | 1-0 | 3-2 | |
| Real Sociedad Real Sociedad Real Sociedad de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in the city of San Sebastián, Basque Country, founded on 7 September 1909... | Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... |
22/09/96 | La Liga | Week 4 | 2-2 | 3-2 | |
| Real Zaragoza Real Zaragoza Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points... | Away La Romareda Estadio de La Romareda is the home stadium of Real Zaragoza, in Zaragoza. It was inaugurated on September 8, 1957, with a game between Real Zaragoza and CA Osasuna . The official capacity is 34,596, with an average attendance of around 30,000 for Real Zaragoza matches.The stadium has gone through... |
29/09/96 | La Liga | Week 5 | 3-2 | 3-5 | |
| Real Zaragoza Real Zaragoza Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points... | Away La Romareda Estadio de La Romareda is the home stadium of Real Zaragoza, in Zaragoza. It was inaugurated on September 8, 1957, with a game between Real Zaragoza and CA Osasuna . The official capacity is 34,596, with an average attendance of around 30,000 for Real Zaragoza matches.The stadium has gone through... |
29/09/96 | La Liga | Week 5 | 3-5 | 3-5 | |
| Compostela SD Compostela Sociedade Deportiva Compostela also known as Compostela is a Spanish football team based in Santiago de Compostela, in the autonomous community of Galicia. Founded on 26 June 1962, it currently plays in Preferente Autonómica.-History:... | Away | 12/10/96 | La Liga | Week 7 | 1-3 | 1-5 | |
| Compostela SD Compostela Sociedade Deportiva Compostela also known as Compostela is a Spanish football team based in Santiago de Compostela, in the autonomous community of Galicia. Founded on 26 June 1962, it currently plays in Preferente Autonómica.-History:... | Away | 12/10/96 | La Liga | Week 7 | 1-4 | 1-5 | |
| CD Logroñes CD Logroñés Club Deportivo Logroñés, S.A.D. was a Spanish football team based in Logroño, in the autonomous community of La Rioja. Founded in 1940, it last played in Regional Preferente de La Rioja.... | Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... |
20/10/96 | La Liga | Week 8 | 3-0 | 8-0 | |
| CD Logroñes CD Logroñés Club Deportivo Logroñés, S.A.D. was a Spanish football team based in Logroño, in the autonomous community of La Rioja. Founded in 1940, it last played in Regional Preferente de La Rioja.... | Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... |
20/10/96 | La Liga | Week 8 | 8-0 | 8-0 | |
| Valencia CF Valencia CF Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the... | Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... |
26/10/96 | La Liga | Week 10 | 1-0 | 3-2 | |
| Valencia CF Valencia CF Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the... | Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... |
26/10/96 | La Liga | Week 10 | 2-0 | 3-2 | |
| Valencia CF Valencia CF Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the... | Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... |
26/10/96 | La Liga | Week 10 | 3-2 | 3-2 | |
| Real Valladolid Real Valladolid Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Valladolid, in the autonomous community of Castile and León, from where the nickname Pucela is derived.... | Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... |
18/11/96 | La Liga | Week 13 | 2-0 | 6-1 | |
| Hércules CF Hércules CF Hércules Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Alicante, in the autonomous community of Valencia. Founded in 1922, it currently plays in the Spanish second division, and holds home games at the Estadio José Rico Pérez, which seats 30,000 spectators.-History:After first... | Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... |
13/01/97 | La Liga | Week 19 | 2-0 | 2-3 | |
| Real Betis Real Betis Real Betis Balompié S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 12 September 1907, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio Benito Villamarín.... | Away | 19/01/97 | La Liga | Week 20 | 2-3 | 2-4 | |
| Rayo Vallecano Rayo Vallecano Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, S.A.D., often abbreviated to Rayo, is a Spanish football team based in Madrid, in the neighbourhood of Vallecas... | Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... |
26/01/97 | La Liga | Week 21 | 4-0 | 6-0 | |
| Rayo Vallecano Rayo Vallecano Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, S.A.D., often abbreviated to Rayo, is a Spanish football team based in Madrid, in the neighbourhood of Vallecas... | Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... |
26/01/97 | La Liga | Week 21 | 5-0 | 6-0 | |
| Real Madrid Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la... | Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... |
30/01/97 | Copa del Rey | R16 | 1-0 | 3-2 | |
| Real Oviedo Real Oviedo Real Oviedo is a Spanish football club based in Oviedo, in the autonomous community of Asturias. Founded on 26 March 1926, it currently plays in Segunda División B - Group 2.... | Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... |
02/02/97 | La Liga | Week 22 | 2-0 | 2-2 | |
| Real Zaragoza Real Zaragoza Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points... | Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... |
23/02/97 | La Liga | Week 26 | 2-0 | 4-1 | |
| Real Zaragoza Real Zaragoza Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points... | Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... |
23/02/97 | La Liga | Week 26 | 3-0 | 4-1 | |
| Real Zaragoza Real Zaragoza Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points... | Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... |
23/02/97 | La Liga | Week 26 | 4-0 | 4-1 | |
| Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... | 06/03/97 | UEFA CWC UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1996-97 The season 1996-97 of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was won by FC Barcelona after beating holders Paris Saint-Germain in the final. It was the last of four occasions that the Catalan club won the tournament.-Qualifying round:-First leg:... |
Q-F | 2-1 | 3-1 | ||
| Compostela SD Compostela Sociedade Deportiva Compostela also known as Compostela is a Spanish football team based in Santiago de Compostela, in the autonomous community of Galicia. Founded on 26 June 1962, it currently plays in Preferente Autonómica.-History:... | Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... |
09/03/97 | La Liga | Week 28 | 3-0 | 3-0 | |
| Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... | 12/03/97 | Copa del Rey | Q-F | 1-3 | 5-4 | ||
| Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... | 12/03/97 | Copa del Rey | Q-F | 2-3 | 5-4 | ||
| Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... | 12/03/97 | Copa del Rey | Q-F | 4-4 | 5-4 | ||
| Away Råsunda Stadium Råsunda Fotbollstadion, also Råsundastadion, Råsunda Stadium or just Råsunda, is a Swedish national football stadium. It is located in Solna Municipality in Metropolitan Stockholm and named after Råsunda, a zone of Solna.-History:... | 20/03/97 | UEFA CWC UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1996-97 The season 1996-97 of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was won by FC Barcelona after beating holders Paris Saint-Germain in the final. It was the last of four occasions that the Catalan club won the tournament.-Qualifying round:-First leg:... |
Q-F | 0-1 | 1-1 | ||
| Sevilla Sevilla FC Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA... | Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... |
23/03/97 | La Liga | Week 30 | 2-0 | 4-0 | |
| Las Palmas UD Las Palmas Unión Deportiva Las Palmas, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, in the autonomous community of Canary Islands... | Away | 26/03/97 | Copa del Rey | S-F | 0-1 | 0-4 | |
| Las Palmas UD Las Palmas Unión Deportiva Las Palmas, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, in the autonomous community of Canary Islands... | Away | 26/03/97 | Copa del Rey | S-F | 0-4 | 0-4 | |
| Valencia CF Valencia CF Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the... | Away Mestalla Estadio Mestalla is a football stadium in Valencia, Spain. The stadium is the home ground of Valencia Club de Fútbol. With a capacity of 55,000 seats, it ranks as the fifth-largest stadium in Spain... |
30/03/97 | La Liga | Week 31 | 1-1 | 1-1 | |
| Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... | 06/04/97 | La Liga | Week 32 | 3-0 | 4-0 | ||
| Away Vicente Calderón Stadium The Vicente Calderón Stadium is the home stadium of La Liga football club Atlético Madrid and is located in the Arganzuela district of Spanish capital Madrid. The stadium was originally called the Manzanares Stadium, but this was later changed to the Vicente Calderón Stadium, after the famous... | 13/04/97 | La Liga | Week 33 | 1-2 | 2-5 | ||
| Away Vicente Calderón Stadium The Vicente Calderón Stadium is the home stadium of La Liga football club Atlético Madrid and is located in the Arganzuela district of Spanish capital Madrid. The stadium was originally called the Manzanares Stadium, but this was later changed to the Vicente Calderón Stadium, after the famous... | 13/04/97 | La Liga | Week 33 | 1-3 | 2-5 | ||
| Away Vicente Calderón Stadium The Vicente Calderón Stadium is the home stadium of La Liga football club Atlético Madrid and is located in the Arganzuela district of Spanish capital Madrid. The stadium was originally called the Manzanares Stadium, but this was later changed to the Vicente Calderón Stadium, after the famous... | 13/04/97 | La Liga | Week 33 | 2-4 | 2-5 | ||
| Real Valladolid Real Valladolid Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Valladolid, in the autonomous community of Castile and León, from where the nickname Pucela is derived.... | Away Estadio José Zorrilla Estadio José Zorrilla is a football stadium in Valladolid, Spain. The stadium holds 26,512 people.The stadium was built in 1982 and is named after poet José Zorrilla y Moral... |
16/04/97 | La Liga | Week 34 | 0-1 | 3-1 | |
| Athletic Bilbao Athletic Bilbao Athletic Club, also known as Athletic Bilbao, is an association football club from Bilbao in Biscay, Spain. The club has played in the Primera División of La Liga since its start in 1928. They have won La Liga on eight occasions... | Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... |
20/04/97 | La Liga | Week 35 | 2-0 | 2-0 | |
| Away Estadio Francisco de la Hera Estadio Francisco de la Hera is a football stadium in Almendralejo, Spain. It is the home ground of CF Extremadura and Extremadura UD.CF Extremadura’s first permanent ground was called Campo de Santa Aurora which was on Camino Alange. This was used from 1928 to 1935 when they moved the short... | 05/05/97 | La Liga | Week 36 | 0-1 | 1-3 | ||
| Real Madrid Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la... | Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... |
10/05/97 | La Liga | Week 37 | 1-0 | 1-0 | |
| UEFA CWC UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1996-97 The season 1996-97 of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was won by FC Barcelona after beating holders Paris Saint-Germain in the final. It was the last of four occasions that the Catalan club won the tournament.-Qualifying round:-First leg:... | Final | 1-0 | 1-0 | ||||
| 47 | Deportivo La Coruña | Home Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... |
24/05/97 | La Liga | Week 39 | 1-0 | 1-0 |
International
Career Totals
| Professional career totals | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | Appearances | Goals | Goals per game |
| Clubs | 518 | 352 | 0.679 |
| National team Brazil national football team The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the... |
98 | 62 | 0.632 |
| U-23 national team | 8 | 6 | 0.750 |
| Total | 624 | 420 | 0.673 |
Honours
CruzeiroCruzeiro Esporte Clube
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football team, from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Internacional. Founded on January 2, 1921, they are only one of three clubs to have participated in...
- Campeonato MineiroCampeonato MineiroCampeonato Mineiro is the state football league of the state of Minas Gerais and is controlled by the Minas Gerais Football Federation FMF ....
: 1994Campeonato MineiroCampeonato Mineiro is the state football league of the state of Minas Gerais and is controlled by the Minas Gerais Football Federation FMF .... - Copa do BrasilCopa do BrasilThe Copa Kia do Brasil, commonly known as Copa do Brasil , is a knockout competition played by 64 association football teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District...
: 1993
PSV
- KNVB CupKNVB CupThe KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup...
: 1996 - Johan Cruijff-schaalJohan Cruijff-schaalThe Johan Cruijff Schaal is a football trophy in the Netherlands named after legendary Dutch football player Johan Cruyff, also often referred to as the Dutch Super Cup. The winner is decided in one match only, played by the winner of the national football league and the winner of the national...
: 1996
Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
- Copa del ReyCopa del ReyThe Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
: 19971997 Copa del Rey Final-References:... - UEFA Cup Winners' CupUEFA Cup Winners' CupThe UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
: 19971997 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup FinalThe 1997 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final was a football match contested between FC Barcelona of Spain and the cup holders, Paris Saint-Germain of France. It was the final match of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1996–97 and the 37th Cup Winners' Cup Final. The final was held at Feyenoord Stadion in Rotterdam... - Supercopa de EspañaSupercopa de EspañaThe Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...
: 19961996 Supercopa de EspañaThe 1996 Supercopa de España was two-leg Spanish football matches played on 25 August and 28 August 1996. It contested by FC Barcelona, who were Spanish Cup runners-up in 1995–96, and Atlético Madrid, who won the 1995–96 Spanish League and the 1995–96 Spanish Cup. FC Barcelona won 6–5 on...
Inter Milan
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
- UEFA Cup: 19981998 UEFA Cup FinalThe 1998 UEFA Cup Final was a football match played at Parc des Princes in Paris on 6 May 1998 between Internazionale and Lazio of Italy. Internazionale won the match 3–0. It was the first single-legged UEFA Cup final.-Match details:...
Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
- La LigaLa LigaThe Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
: 2002–03 - Intercontinental CupIntercontinental Cup (football)The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
: 20022002 Intercontinental CupThe 2002 Intercontinental Cup was a football match played on 3 December 2002 between Real Madrid, winners of the 2001–02 UEFA Champions League, and Olimpia, winners of the 2002 Copa Libertadores. The match was played at the neutral venue of the International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama in front of... - Supercopa de EspañaSupercopa de EspañaThe Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...
: 20032003 Supercopa de EspañaThe 2003 Supercopa de España was two-leg Spanish football matches played on 24 August and 27 August 2003. It contested by RCD Mallorca, who were Spanish Cup winners in 2002–03, and Real Madrid, who won the 2002–03 Spanish League. Real Madrid won 4–2 on aggregate.-First leg:-Second leg:-References:...
Corinthians
Sport Club Corinthians Paulista
Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, commonly just known as Corinthians , is a Brazilian football club based in the city of São Paulo. They play in the São Paulo state league, as well as the Brasileirão, Brazil's top national league...
- Campeonato PaulistaCampeonato PaulistaThe Campeonato Paulista de Futebol Profissional da Primeira Divisão - Série A1, simply known as the Campeonato Paulista, is the top-flight professional football league in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. The league is contested between 20 clubs and typically lasts from January to April...
: 2009 - Copa do BrasilCopa do BrasilThe Copa Kia do Brasil, commonly known as Copa do Brasil , is a knockout competition played by 64 association football teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District...
: 2009
National team
- FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
: 19941994 FIFA World Cup FinalThe 1994 FIFA World Cup Final took place in Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California, United States. Brazil won the World Cup against Italy on a penalty shootout after the score was 0–0. This was Brazil's fourth World Cup title. It was also the first ever World Cup final to be decided by a penalty...
, 20022002 FIFA World Cup FinalThe 2002 FIFA World Cup Final the final match of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, played between Germany and Brazil at the International Stadium in Yokohama, Japan. It was the first World Cup meeting between the two sides. Brazil won the match 2–0, winning a record fifth title... - Copa AméricaCopa AméricaThe Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...
: 1997, 1999 - FIFA Confederations CupFIFA Confederations CupThe FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...
: 19971997 FIFA Confederations Cup-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:7 goals Romário5 goals Vladimír Šmicer4 goals Ronaldo-References:...
Individual
- Supercopa Libertadores Top Scorer: 1993–94
- Campeonato MineiroCampeonato MineiroCampeonato Mineiro is the state football league of the state of Minas Gerais and is controlled by the Minas Gerais Football Federation FMF ....
Top Scorer: 1993–94 - Campeonato Mineiro Team of The Year: 1994
- EredivisieEredivisieThe Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
Top Scorer: 1994–95 - La LigaLa LigaThe Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
Top Scorer: 1996–97,2003–2004 - European Golden BootEuropean Golden BootThe European Golden Shoe, formerly known as the European Golden Boot, is an association football award presented each season to the leading goalscorer in league matches from the top division of every European national league...
: 1996–97 - Don Balón AwardDon Balón AwardFrom 1976 until 2010, the Spanish magazine Don Balón confered the Don Balón Award to the best Spanish player, the best foreign player, the best referee, and the breakthrough player in La Liga...
La Liga Foreign Player of the Year: 1996–97 - Copa AméricaCopa AméricaThe Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...
Final Most Valuable Player: 1997 - Copa América Most Valuable Player: 1997
- Confederations Cup All-Star Team: 1997
- Cup Winners Cup Final Most Valuable Player: 1997
- Cup Winners Cup Top Goal Scorer: 1996–1997
- IFFHS World's Top Goal Scorer of the YearIFFHS World's Top Goal Scorer of the YearThe World‘s best Top Division Goal Scorer, comes from the world's 60 top leagues, as determined by International Federation of Football History & Statistics during the previous year....
: 1997 - UEFA Most Valuable Player: 1997–98
- Serie A Footballer of the YearSerie A Footballer of the YearThe Serie A Footballer of the Year is a yearly award organized by the Italian Footballers' Association given to the footballer who has been considered to have performed the best over the previous Serie A season....
: 1997–98 - Serie A Foreign Footballer of the YearSerie A Foreign Footballer of the YearThe Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year is a yearly award organized by the Italian Footballers' Association given to the non-Italian footballer who has been considered to have performed the best over the previous Serie A season. The award is part of the "Oscar del Calcio" awards...
: 1997–98 - UEFA Best Forward: 1997–98
- Bravo AwardBravo AwardThe Bravo Award is an annual award which is handed out by the Italian magazine Guerin Sportivo to the most outstanding young European footballer. The first winner of the award was English Jimmy Case. Until 1992 only under-23 players participating in one of the three European club cups were eligible...
: 1995, 1997, 1998 - FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
Golden Ball: 1998 - UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
Final Most Valuable Player: 1998 - Copa América Top Scorer: 1999
- Copa América All-Star Team: 1997, 1999
- FIFA World Player of the YearFIFA World Player of the YearThe FIFA World Player of the Year was an association football award given annually to the male and female player who were thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams...
: 1996, 1997, 2002 - Ballon D'or: 1997, 2002Ballon d'Or 2002The 2002 Ballon d'Or, given to the best football player in Europe as judged by a panel of sports journalists from UEFA member countries, was awarded to Ronaldo on 12 December 2002...
- World Soccer MagazineWorld Soccer MagazineWorld Soccer is an English language football magazine published by IPC Media. It specialises in the international football scene. Its regular contributing writers include Brian Glanville, Sid Lowe and Tim Vickery. World Soccer is a member of the European Sports Magazines , an umbrella group of...
World Player of The Year: 1996,1997.2002 - Onze d'OrOnze d'OrThe Onze d'Or is a football award handed out by French magazine Onze Mondial at the end of the year since 1976...
: 1997, 2002 - FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
Silver Ball: 2002 - FIFA 100FIFA 100The FIFA 100 is a list of the world-renowned Brazilian striker Pelé's choice of the "greatest living footballers". Unveiled on 4 March 2004 at a gala ceremony in London, the FIFA 100 marked part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Fédération Internationale de...
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1998, 2002
- FIFA World Cup Final Most Valuable Player: 2002
- FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
Top Scorer: 2002 - Intercontinental Cup Most Valuable Player: 2002
- UEFA Team of The Year: 2002
- Laureus Comeback of the Year: 2002
- Strogaldo De Legendary Award 2002
- BBC Sports Personality of the Year Overseas PersonalityBBC Sports Personality of the Year Overseas PersonalityThe BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year is an award presented at the annual BBC Sports Personality of the Year award ceremony. The award is presented to a non-British sportsperson considered to have made the most substantial contribution to a sport in that year. The award is decided by a...
: 2002 - La Liga South American Player of the Year: 1996–97, 2002–03
- Golden Foot awardGolden Foot awardThe Golden Foot award is an international football award, given to players who stand out for their athletic achievements and for their personality...
: 2006 - Brazilian National Hall of Fame: Class of 2006
- Serie A Player of the Decade: 1997–2007
- France Football Magazine: Starting eleven of all-time (2007)
- FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
: All-Time Leading Scorer - Campeonato PaulistaCampeonato PaulistaThe Campeonato Paulista de Futebol Profissional da Primeira Divisão - Série A1, simply known as the Campeonato Paulista, is the top-flight professional football league in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. The league is contested between 20 clubs and typically lasts from January to April...
: Best Player, 2009 - Goal.comGoal.comGoal.com, founded in 2004 by Chicco Merighi and former Ferrari Maserati and Ralph Lauren President and CEO Gian Luigi Longinotti-Buitoni, is a website for international football news. Goal.com represents the largest football community in the world, with 22 language versions, covering over 200...
: Player of a decade: Winner 2000–2010
Personal life
Ronaldo is the third child of Nélio Nazário de Lima, Snr and Sônia dos Santos Barata, Ronaldo has a brother Nélio Jr.During 1997, Ronaldo met the Brazilian model and actress Susana Werner
Susana Werner
Susana Werner is a Brazilian model and actress.-Personal life:From 1997 to 1999, Susana Werner had a relationship with Brazilian footballer Ronaldo. Later, she married the Brazilian goalkeeper Júlio César...
on the set of Brazilian telenovela
Telenovela
A telenovela is a limited-run serial dramatic programming popular in Latin American, Portuguese, and Spanish television programming. The word combines tele, short for televisión or televisão , and novela, a Spanish or Portuguese word for "novel"...
Malhação
Malhação
Malhação is a Brazilian soap opera for the teenage audience. The soap started in 1995, and was set in a fictional Gym Club called Malhação on Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro. Through the years the location varied slightly. Although the name of the soap remains the same, it is now set in the...
when they acted together in three episodes. Although never marrying, they began a long-term relationship and lived together in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
until the beginning of 1999.
In April 1999, Ronaldo married female Brazilian footballer
Brazil women's national football team
The Brazil women's national football team represents Brazil in international women's association football. Brazil played their first game on July 22, 1986 against the United States....
Milene Domingues
Milene Domingues
Milene Domingues Aganzo is a Brazilian model and former footballer.-Career:She was signed by Rayo Vallecano but plays football for Fiamma Monza. The ex-model also holds the record for ball juggling, keeping a football off the ground with 55,198 touches...
, 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
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, on April 6, 2000). In 2005, Ronaldo became engaged to Brazilian model and MTV
MTV Brasil
MTV Brasil is the Brazilian version of MTV, owned by Abril Mídia, the nation's largest magazine publisher, under license from Viacom - owned MTV Networks Latin AmericaMTV Brasil is one of two versions of MTV available in free-to-air terrestrial television...
VJ Daniela Cicarelli
Daniela Cicarelli
Daniella Cicarelli Lemos is a former TV show hostess for MTV Brasil and a fashion model. She was engaged to Brazilian footballer Ronaldo for three months in 2005....
, who became pregnant but suffered a miscarriage; the relationship lasted for only three months after their luxurious wedding at the Château de Chantilly
Château de Chantilly
The Château de Chantilly is a historic château located in the town of Chantilly, France. It comprises two attached buildings; the Grand Château, destroyed during the French Revolution and rebuilt in the 1870s, and the Petit Château which was built around 1560 for Anne de Montmorency...
. The ceremony reportedly cost €700,000 (£896,000).
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
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. Upon discovering that they were men, Ronaldo offered them $600 to leave.
One of the three, however, André Luís Ribeiro Albertini (better known as Andréia Albertini), demanded $30,000 and exposed the case to the media. 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." Ronaldo's engagement to Maria Beatriz Antony was cancelled immediately after the prostitution scandal 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
Penthouse apartment
A penthouse apartment or penthouse is an apartment that is on one of the highest floors of an apartment building. Penthouses are typically differentiated from other apartments by luxury features.-History:...
in São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
. 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. In December 2010, Ronaldo and his family moved to a new mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
in São Paulo. 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. 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
Vasectomy
Vasectomy is a surgical procedure for male sterilization and/or permanent birth control. During the procedure, the vasa deferentia of a man are severed, and then tied/sealed in a manner such to prevent sperm from entering into the seminal stream...
.
Since 2005, Ronaldo has been the co-owner of A1 Team Brazil
A1 Team Brazil
A1 Team Brazil is the Brazilian team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :The seat holder for A1 Team Brazil is the former Formula One World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi. Since 2005, Brazilian footballer Ronaldo has been the co-owner of A1 Team Brazil. The team principal is...
, along with Brazilian motorsports legend Emerson Fittipaldi
Emerson Fittipaldi
Emerson Fittipaldi |São Paulo]], Brazil) is a Brazilian automobile racing driver who throughout a long and successful career won the Indianapolis 500 twice and championships in both Formula One and CART.-Early and personal life:...
. Ronaldo is set to become President of Brazil 2014.