Ronaldo

onaldo is born in the poor suburbs of Rio de Janeiro under the name Luis Nazario de Lima. Driven by his childhood hero Zico, the youngster enters football early in his life. By his 12th birthday he is playing in an organized youth club called Tennis Club Valqueire. With Valqueire, he plays "futebol de salão" or small-sided football with a miniature ball. This is considered an important step in Ronaldo's development as playing with a smaller ball is said to rapidly increase skill. In the following few years, he takes part in various youth tournaments and begins attracting attention. Soon after, Cruzeiro di Belo Horizonte snatch up the youngster on a $50,000 transfer. Young Luis Nazario gets his big break at the age of 17 when he is called up by Brazil's senior national team. He performs well and is selected for his country's World Cup squad. Because of his tender age, the young Ronaldo is kept as a substitute and watches on as his team wins the 1994 World Cup. Ronaldo's international appearances help him get noticed by European club PSV Eindhoven. He moves to PSV and instantly becomes top scorer of the Dutch league. With his growing popularity in Europe, Ronaldo is quickly singed by Spanish giant FC Barcelona. At Barca, he gets global recognition by scoring numerous spectacular goals. Moving to Italian club Internazionale is the next step in his career. Rona's start in the Calcio is promising, but playing against rough Italian defenders gradually takes its toll.

The year 1998 marks a decline in Ronaldo's career. He leads his national team to a World Cup Final, but fails to deliver in the decisive match. His squad settles for silver as a wide range of speculations (from illness to black magic) are made about Ronaldo's indifferent display. By the end of 1998, Ronaldo is forced to leave the pitch after a knee injury which he picks up with his club. The injury haunts Ronaldo for a few years causing him to miss the entire 2000/2001 season. As he recovers, Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid decide to sign him. This change helps the prolific striker to resume his regular scoring. Rona also returns to the Brazilian national team, scoring two goals in the final and wining the World Cup at Korea and Japan in 2002. In Germany 2006, Ronaldo becomes the World Cup's leading scorer of all time after beating Gerhard Müller's record of 14 goals. Nevertheless, his country exists the tournament in the quarterfinals after losing to France 0-1. As a footballer, practically everything has been said about the Brazilian soccer player, because of his worldwide fame. Regardless of all the talk, he is a powerful striker who can run through defenders. Before his injury, Rona was a player of great speed with the ability of carrying the ball over long distances. This has changed now as he has gained weight and lost his youthful pelt. He has become somewhat more predictable, but not in any means less dangerous. In one-on-one confrontations, he can beat any defender on Earth. Ronaldo plays with the typical Brazilian flair yet he also has the strenght to outmuscle and go around his marker.

Quick Facts

Name	Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima
Starting Number	#9
Born	22 September 1976 in Bento Ribeiro, Rio de Janeiro
Nationality	Brazilian
Height	184 cm / 6 feet
Weight	89 kg / 197 pounds
Family Status	Divorced from world female juggling champion Milene Domingues with a child Ronald
Foot	Right
Teams	Cruzeiro PSV Eindhoven (Holland) Barcelona (Spain) Inter (Italy) Real Madrid (Spain)
Nicknames	Rona Ronaldinho Fenomeno R9 Dadado The Extraterrestrial
Skills	Speed dribbling, finishing