The original R9 — the most naturally gifted striker football has produced.
Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima was born in Bento Ribeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1976. He is widely considered the greatest natural striker in football history. His 1997 Ballon d'Or win at 21 was the most comprehensive victory in the award's history. The night before the 1998 World Cup Final he suffered a convulsive fit — subsequently playing despite medical concern — and France won 3-0. He was found in a Rio hotel room with three transsexual women in 2008 — a story generating international media coverage. He won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002, scoring in the final against Germany. Multiple severe knee injuries — requiring four operations — disrupted his career. He became a prominent football executive and co-owner of Valladolid and Cruzeiro.
World Cup 2x (1994 squad,2002)
Career Honours
- World Cup 2x (1994 squad,2002)
- Ballon d'Or 2x (1997,2002)
- Champions League (Barcelona,Real Madrid)