[b]Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima[/b] ([url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_Portuguese]Brazilian[/url] Portuguese pronunciation: [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_Portuguese][ʁoˈnawdu luˈiz naˈzaɾju dʒɪ ˈlimɐ][/url]; born 18 September 1976, though many sources say 22 September 1976), more commonly known as [b]Ronaldo[/b], is a [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazil]Brazilian[/url] professional [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_football]footballer[/url] currently playing for [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campeonato_Brasileiro_S%C3%A9rie_A]Campeonato Brasileiro[/url] club [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport_Club_Corinthians_Paulista]Corinthians[/url].
In 1993, Ronaldo began his professional football career playing for [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruzeiro_Esporte_Clube]Cruzeiro[/url]
which was already going on to become a successful club. In his first
and only year with Cruzeiro, he amassed 12 goals in 14 appearances and
lead them to their first [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copa_do_Brasil]Copa do Brasil[/url] championship. After Cruzeiro, he signed with Dutch football team [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PSV_Eindhoven]PSV[/url] in 1994. In 1996, his final year with PSV, Ronaldo helped them win the [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Cup]Dutch Cup[/url]. Ronaldo has also played for [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FC_Barcelona]FC Barcelona[/url], [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F.C._Internazionale_Milano]Internazionale[/url], [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_Madrid_C.F.]Real Madrid[/url] and [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.C._Milan]Milan[/url]. He is one of only four players to have played for 5 of the so called [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-14]G-14 Clubs[/url].[sup][url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronaldo#cite_note-1][2][/url][/sup]
Ronaldo is also an established national footballer for [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazil_national_football_team]Brazil[/url].
He has appeared in 97 international matches, amassing 62 goals and
standing 15 goals away from the Brazilian national scoring record. He
was a part of the Brazilian squad that won the [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_World_Cup_1994]1994[/url], and [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_FIFA_World_Cup]2002[/url] [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_World_Cup]World Cups[/url]. During the [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_World_Cup]2006[/url] [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_World_Cup]World Cup[/url], Ronaldo became the highest goalscorer in the history of the World Cup with his fifteenth goal, surpassing [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerd_M%C3%BCller]Gerd Müller[/url]'s previous record of 14.
Nicknamed [i]O Fenômeno[/i]
("The Phenomenon" in English), Ronaldo was also one of the most
prolific scorers in the nineties and in the early twenty-first century.
During his football career in Europe, Ronaldo became one of the most
renowned strikers in the world by winning his first [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballon_d%27Or]Ballon d'Or[/url] as the European Footballer of the Year in 1997 and again in [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballon_d%27Or_2002]2002[/url]. He is also one of only two men to have won the [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_Player_of_the_Year]FIFA Player of the Year[/url] award three times, along with [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_people]French[/url] footballer [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zin%C3%A9dine_Zidane]Zinédine Zidane[/url]. In 2007, he was named as one of the best starting eleven of all-time by [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France_Football]France Football[/url] and was named to the [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_100]FIFA 100[/url], a list of the greatest footballers compiled by fellow countryman [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pel%C3%A9]Pelé[/url].
He is considered by many football fans and players to be the
greatest striker in the history of football, especially noted for the
96/97 season with FC Barcelona, considered by many to be the greatest
display ever by a footballer in a season. His clinical finishing,
ability to beat defenders with ease, skills on the ball and his many
comebacks from injury have seen him lauded by football fans worldwide.
He is an idol to many modern footballers such as [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karim_Benzema]Karim Benzema[/url][sup][url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronaldo#cite_note-2][3][/url][/sup], and [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kak%C3%A1]Kaká[/url][sup][url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronaldo#cite_note-3][4][/url][/sup]. Ronaldo was also one of the first major football superstars to popularize [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futsal]Futsal[/url] and [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_football]Street Football[/url]
skills on the pitch, becoming associated with the stepover. He is also
credited with igniting a stronger marketing interest in football
worldwide, particularly due to his rapport with Nike who had previously
focused mainly on Basketball.
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