Rivaldo
Attacking Midfielder / Forward · Barcelona · Brazil
About Rivaldo
Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira is the 1999 FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon d'Or winner who formed one of football's most brilliant partnerships with Ronaldinho and Ronaldo. At Barcelona (ESP) between 1997 and 2002 he was arguably the best player in the world, scoring bicycle kicks and long-range goals with a regularity that made the Camp Nou gasp. His 2002 World Cup winner's medal completed an extraordinary collection.
Rivaldo's story
From Paulista to Barcelona
Rivaldo grew up in Paulista, Pernambuco, in poverty. He was rejected by multiple clubs as a youth for being too thin. He broke through at Corinthians and then Palmeiras before moving to Spain. At Deportivo La Coruña he had one excellent season before Barcelona (ESP) paid £18m to bring him to Catalonia in 1997.
The Camp Nou Years
At Barcelona (ESP), Rivaldo was extraordinary — La Liga's top scorer in 1998 and 1999, the 1999 Ballon d'Or winner, and the player who kept Barcelona (ESP) competitive during transitional coaching years. His hat-trick against Valencia (ESP) in the final Liga game of the 1998-99 season — the last goal a bicycle kick in injury time — is considered one of the greatest individual moments in La Liga history.
Controversy and Legacy
His legacy is complicated by a 2002 World Cup incident in which he feigned injury after a Turkish player kicked the ball at his leg rather than his face — leading to the player's red card. He was fined €6,180 by FIFA. He later played extensively in Greece, Uzbekistan, and Brazil before retiring at 43.
Did you know?
- 🚲 His bicycle kick against Valencia in the final La Liga game of the 1998-99 season — scored in the 88th minute with Barcelona needing a win — is voted one of the 10 greatest goals in La Liga history.
- 🌟 He received a standing ovation from Real Madrid fans at the Bernabéu alongside Ronaldinho — one of only two Brazilian players to receive this honour from Barça's arch rivals.
- 👨👩👧👦 Married Fernanda Lima; they have five children. He settled in São Paulo after a globetrotting career spanning five continents.
- 🦵 Despite being 186cm — tall for an attacking player — Rivaldo had extraordinary close control and dribbling ability, able to hold off defenders much bigger than him.
- ⚠️ At the 2002 World Cup he feigned injury after a Turkish player kicked the ball at his legs, getting the player sent off. He was fined by FIFA but Brazil continued to the title.
- 🇬🇷 He spent three years at Olympiacos in Greece (2004-2007) at his own request, saying he wanted to experience a different football culture rather than maximise earnings.
- 📊 He scored 130 goals for Barcelona in 235 appearances — the highest scoring ratio of any non-Spanish forward at the club in the modern era until Messi and Suárez.
- 💪 He played competitive professional football until age 43 — one of the oldest outfield players to appear in a professional league game in South American football.
- 🤝 He and Ronaldinho are the only two Barcelona players (excluding Brazilians on the current squad) to have received standing ovations from fans of Real Madrid at the Bernabéu.
Honours
- FIFA World Cup: Brazil (2002)
- La Liga x2: Barcelona (1998, 1999)
- Copa América: Brazil (1999)
- Ballon d'Or: 1999
- FIFA World Player of the Year: 1999
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