Athletes dream of long, illustrious careers, and hope that when it’s time to call it quits, they can do so on a high note. Unfortunately, this is not the case for Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima, known simply as Ronaldo, one of the greatest players in soccer history.
Ronaldo announced earlier this month that he is retiring from football due to nagging injuries and complications with hypothyroidism, a condition that makes it difficult for him to keep in shape. This announcement comes only a few days after his Corinthians team was eliminated in the Copa Libertadores, Latin America’s biggest tournament. With all of the great things Ronaldo has done throughout his career, he’ll be remembered by Corinthians fans because he failed to lead his team to victory in one competition. Sad, really.
Ronaldo was a member of four World Cup teams for his native Brazil. His teams won in 1994 and 2002, and was their star player during their march to the final in 1998 before seizures prevented him from playing in the championship match. Although his team was eliminated in the quarterfinals in 2006, he scored his 15th goal in World Cup play, a record that remains unbroken to this day. Ronaldo scored 67 goals in International play for Brazil, and over 400 goals in his 18-year career.
His former Inter Milan teammate, Youri Djorkaeff, speaks for many when he was quoted as saying, “Ronaldo is the best player I ever played with.” He was an idol among fans and other players alike, with incredible footwork and an accurate finishing touch that allowed him to net those 400 plus goals, and establish himself as one of the best.
He was one of the greats, but he could have been even better had it not been for injuries that plagued him throughout his playing career. He suffered three major knee injuries, each one threatening to retire him early, but each time he fought back. He was unlucky, and fans are left to wonder what could have been for Ronaldo, whose nickname was “The Phenomenon.”
His numbers on the pitch are astounding, but unfortunately Ronald was not without scandal off it. In 2008, Ronaldo was caught-up in a sex scandal after picking up prostitutes than turned out to be men, who then tried to exhort money from him. I was saddened when I learned about this. Here is Ronaldo, three-time FIFA Player of the Year, one of my favorites to watch, getting caught up in such a horrible incident.
Despite these off-pitch troubles, Ronaldo remains one of the best to ever play the game. Not to be confused with Cristiano Ronaldo, the pretty young thing from Portugal, Ronaldo looks more like the Brazilian Steve-O. His 18-year career saw him play for clubs like Inter Milan and Real Madrid, but his time on the Brazilian national team is what made him a household name.
Ronaldo had a long, illustrious career. If only it could have ended on a high note, not a forced retirement.
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