Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima

So, a glittering career comes to an end for one of the greatest players of all time.

I've watched him play since his days at Barcelona were he ripped defences apart time after time, scoring all types of goals and winning games on his own, all the way into his twilight years where he became more and more of a cameo player with the stresses and strains of modern day football and his previous injuries starting to take its toll on Ronaldo, which was a shame to see

For me he his the greatest player of all time, he had it all, the touch, control, pace, agility, power and the list goes on, he had every few weaknesses in his game, it was just a shame his body (more specifically his knees) had to blight a truly magnificent career.

Career stats;
Cruzeiro: Apps 14 Goals: 12
PSV: Apps 46 Goals: 42
Barcelona: Apps: 37 Goals: 34
Inter Milan: Apps: 68 Goals: 49
Real Madrid: Apps: 127 Goals: 83
AC Milan: Apps 20 Goals: 9
Corinthians: Apps 31 Goals: 18
Brazil: 97 Goals: 62

Individual Honours

* Supercopa Libertadores Top Scorer: 1993–94
* Campeonato Mineiro Top Scorer: 1993–94
* Campeonato Mineiro Team of The Year: 1994
* Eredivisie Top Scorer: 1994–95
* La Liga Top Scorer: 1996–97,2003–2004
* European Golden Boot: 1996–97
* Don Balón Award La Liga Foreign Player of the Year: 1996–97
* Copa América Final Most Valuable Player: 1997
* Copa América Most Valuable Player: 1997
* Confederations Cup All-Star Team: 1997
* Cup Winners Cup Final Most Valuable Player: 1997
* Cup Winners Cup Top Goal Scorer: 1996–1997
* IFFHS World's Top Goal Scorer of the Year: 1997
* UEFA Most Valuable Player: 1997–98
* Serie A Footballer of the Year: 1997–98
* Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year: 1997–98
* UEFA Best Forward: 1997–98
* Bravo Award : 1995, 1997, 1998
* FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 1998
* UEFA Cup Final Most Valuable Player: 1998
* Copa América Top Scorer: 1999
* Copa América All-Star Team: 1997, 1999
* FIFA World Player of the Year: 1996, 1997, 2002
* Ballon D'or: 1997, 2002
* World Soccer Magazine World Player of The Year: 1996,1997.2002
* Onze d'Or: 1997, 2002
* FIFA World Cup Silver Ball: 2002
* FIFA 100
* FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1998, 2002
* FIFA World Cup Final Most Valuable Player: 2002
* FIFA World Cup Top Scorer: 2002
* Intercontinental Cup Most Valuable Player: 2002
* UEFA Team of The Year: 2002
* Laureus Comeback of the Year: 2002
* Strogaldo De Legendary Award 2002
* BBC Sports Personality of the Year Overseas Personality: 2002
* La Liga South American Player of the Year: 1996–97, 2002–03
* Golden Foot award: 2006
* Brazilian National Hall of Fame: Class of 2006
* Serie A Player of the Decade: 1997–2007
* France Football Magazine: Starting eleven of all-time (2007)
* FIFA World Cup: All-Time Leading Scorer
* Campeonato Paulista: Best Player, 2009
* Goal.com : Player of a decade: Winner 2000–2010[23]

Thank you Ronaldo for the memories

Here are 2 links to show what kind of player he was;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E2nho5XByg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6pcsQvCsEo

 

Jesus christ! His goals to games ratio is unreal ! A great player in his prime, shame that he let himself go. Was a pleasure to watch him play football though.

 

Surely will go down as one of the all time greats, what a career he's had.

 

Nothing on Luis Suarez on my Football Manager save. Newcastle's #9

 

truely the best striker of his and a few more generations! shame about the hair n teeth!

 

He is no Ameobi like. His goals to game ratio is better against Sunderland than any of Ronaldo's.

 

I remember the rumours that he was coming here when we still had SBR in charge

 

His club goals per game ratio was 0.7, truly magnificant, for me he is the second best player in my life time, behind Zidane. Sir Bobby saw a footballer who had potential and turned that potential into a truly remarkable footballer.

 

Even at the last two clubs, when he was already forgotten and written off, he still scored goals at a respectable clip that most strikers could only dream of in their prime.

 

world cup final WOW

 

Definately the best I have ever seen,I remember being a kid and being excited when Brazil were playing in the world cup just to watch Ronaldo.

 

Yeah, he actually said that if NUFC we're still playing in the Champions League under Sir Bobby that he'd love to join once he'd finished at Real.

Truly one've the best in the game. Good to see that it wasn't over indulgence that led to the decline in recent years.

TOP PLAYER.

 

Imagine if that had happened?
A lineup of him & Shearer or even rotate those two with Bellamy alongside them?
Definitely could have won the league at least once or some silverware!
If only.


I remember that game against Manure where their fans were chanting who ate all the pies then he scored a hat-trick. Brilliant

 

Saw an interview on SSN this morning where he had a dig at people who say he's got fat etc, he blamed it on some condition to do with his metabolism. Apparently the only cure is drugs that are illegal in football which is why he is having to retire. That or he's an old fat knacker

 

If it's true it's probably a thyroid problem, underactive thyroid to be accurate.
My family has a history of the opposite (overactive) and apparently you can't sleep and can eat loads without putting weight on, so he'd probably be the opposite. I'm pretty sure they prescribe amphetamines for underactive ones amongst other drugs so no wonder they would be illegal!

 

We certainly would not have Best/Lover leading the line at the minute if that had happened.

 

ronaldo was truly a great and will be missed in the world of football.

 

In my lifetime:

Ronaldo
Zidane
Messi

Simply the best.

EDIT - This is of course if you don't include Pedro.