Ronaldo Nazário
Striker · Real Madrid · Brazil
About Ronaldo Nazário
Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima — "The Phenomenon" — is considered by many the greatest pure striker in football history. Blessed with electrifying pace, devastating skill and a clinical finishing touch, he won two World Cups and three FIFA World Player of the Year awards despite suffering three career-threatening knee injuries.
Ronaldo Nazário's story
Bento Ribeiro
Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima was born on 18 September 1976 in Bento Ribeiro, a poor neighbourhood in the northern suburbs of Rio de Janeiro (BRA). His father, Nélio, was a huge Flamengo fan who played recreational football; his mother, Sônia, worked as a cleaner. The family was poor — Ronaldo has spoken of going hungry as a child. He quit school at 14 to focus entirely on football, a decision made out of necessity as much as ambition. He was spotted by Jairzinho — the great Brazilian winger of 1970 — who recommended him to Cruzeiro.
The Phenomenon Emerges
It was Pelé who first called him "O Fenômeno" — The Phenomenon — after watching him train as a teenager. The nickname immediately felt right. There was simply nobody like him: the speed of thought, the explosive acceleration over five yards, the audacious skill in tight spaces. At Barcelona (ESP) in 1996-97, aged 19, he scored 47 goals in 49 games — including a famous Copa del Rey Final solo effort where he beat five defenders. Coaches and teammates spoke of him in awed, almost mystified terms.
The Injuries
Nothing in football prepared people for what happened to Ronaldo's knees. In November 1999, his right knee gave way during training. He had reconstructive surgery and returned — only for the same knee to collapse again in the warm-up of his first match back in April 2000. The surgeon told him he might never play again. He spent two and a half years in rehabilitation. The mental strength required to return was, those close to him say, even more extraordinary than his talent.
The Night Before the Final
The most haunting episode of Ronaldo's career remains the night before the 1998 World Cup Final. Hours before the match, he suffered what witnesses described as a violent convulsive episode in the hotel room he shared with Roberto Carlos. He was taken to hospital. His name was removed from the team sheet — then restored shortly before kick-off. Brazil lost 3–0 to France. Ronaldo played but was clearly not himself. The cause of the episode was never officially confirmed; years later he suggested it was caused by the unbearable psychological pressure of the occasion.
Life After Football
Ronaldo married three times: first to fellow professional footballer Milene Domingues (1999–2003), then briefly and famously to model Daniela Cicarelli (2005), and later to Maria Beatriz Antony, with whom he has children. He has five children in total. He is now a club owner, having bought Real Valladolid in Spain and his beloved Cruzeiro in Brazil. He has been candid about weight gain after retirement — caused by a thyroid condition — and about his love of the good life. He remains one of football's most charismatic, vivid and beloved personalities.
Did you know?
- ⚡ His nickname "The Phenomenon" was coined by Pelé after watching him play as a teenager at Cruzeiro.
- 💇 His distinctive triangular fringe haircut at the 2002 World Cup became the most-copied hairstyle in the world that summer.
- 👨👩👧👦 Married and divorced three times and has five children. Known for a flamboyant personal life, he settled back in Brazil after retirement.
- 😰 Had a mysterious convulsive episode the night before the 1998 World Cup Final yet still played — Brazil lost that final 3–0 to France.
- ⚽ At Barcelona he scored 47 goals in 49 games in a single season — a ratio never matched at a major European club since.
- 🏆 Scored both goals in the 2002 World Cup Final against Germany, winning the Golden Boot with 8 goals in the tournament.
- ⚖️ After retirement his weight increased significantly — he later revealed this was caused by hypothyroidism, a thyroid condition, not lifestyle. He has been open about the pain the public mockery caused him.
- 🏟️ He now co-owns two football clubs: Cruzeiro in Brazil — his first professional club — and Real Valladolid in Spain, whom he bought in 2018 and sold in 2023.
- 🌙 The night before the 1998 World Cup Final, Ronaldo suffered a mysterious convulsive episode. He was rushed to hospital, removed from the team sheet — then reinstated. Brazil lost 3–0. The cause was never officially confirmed.
Honours
- FIFA World Cup x2: 1994, 2002 — Brazil (2002 Golden Boot, 8 goals)
- Copa América x2: 1997, 1999 — Brazil
- UEFA Cup: 1998 — Inter Milan
- La Liga: 2003 — Real Madrid
- Intercontinental Cup: 2002 — Real Madrid
- Copa del Rey: 1997 — Barcelona
- FIFA World Player of the Year x3: 1996, 1997, 2002
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