The football star of the late 90s–early 2000, Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima, whom everyone knows as simply Ronaldo, was born in Rio de Janeiro on September 18, 1976. Most sources indicate the 22nd of September, because it was on this day that the father registered his son. 4 days have passed since his birth, so in order not to pay the fine, he had to lie. Like most Brazilian children, he became interested in football at an early age. Ronaldo played in the suburbs of Rio. After some time, he began his first practices — it was when he decided to seriously take up football. He knew about all tomorrow football match and closely followed the news about his favourite teams.
This player didn’t just enter big football, he burst into it. His first contract was with the Brazilian team Cruzeiro. In his first season, he scored 44 goals, and this is only in official matches. For Brazilian talents, this tenacity meant moving to Europe. It’s just that eminent clubs are unlikely to disregard talents. Initially, he played for PSV, from where he was bought by Barca. Ronaldo progressed almost daily. In addition to team trophies, he also received individual awards. With the advent of fame, these clubs were interested in him:
- Lazio;
- Inter;
- Rangers, and others.
In a passionate fight for the footballer, Inter won. In the first season there, Ronaldo scored 34 goals and won the UEFA Cup. Surely all fans were waiting for every football match with him no matter if it was today or tomorrow.
World Cup 1998 and knee injury
The beginning of the World Cup 98 didn’t bode well for the Brazilians, because they went to France not only as reigning champions but also as favourites. In the final match against the French, Ronaldo was the hope of the nation, but it did not bring him success. Brazil lost 3:0. As many people believe, it was due to Ronaldo’s epileptic attack on the eve of the match. By the way, its reasons have not been disclosed. The athlete spent the whole next day at the hospital, but entering the field with the starting lineup that evening, the star was in a far from ideal form.
The next year was fatal. While playing for Inter, Ronaldo suffered a serious knee injury in one of the matches. It made the player leave the sport for 2 whole years. In 2002, when the world championship was approaching, fans began to forget about Ronaldo, because new young stars appeared in the national team. Information about the end of his career appeared in the media, but he returned, and even with a triumph. The Phenomenon, as he was also called, attracted the attention of fans of the World Cup, taking place in Japan and Korea.
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