A detailed timeline of the impact and legacy of Ronaldo (Brazilian footballer) across different fields.
Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, known as Ronaldo or "O Fenômeno", is a Brazilian former professional footballer widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers of all time. A three-time FIFA World Player of the Year and two-time Ballon d'Or winner, he revolutionized the striker position. Currently, he owns and presides over La Liga club Real Valladolid. Ronaldo's influence extends to inspiring a generation of strikers.
By January 1997, at 20 years old, Ronaldo was touted to be the next 'great' in football, being viewed as the heir to Pelé, Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten.
In 1998, Ronaldo entered the 1998 FIFA World Cup billed as the world's greatest player. The hopes and dreams of a nation rested on his shoulders.
In the 1990s, and by 1998, Ronaldo reached the height of his career. By the time the 1998 World Cup came along his reputation had extended to the point of fully formed marvel.
In 2000, a bronze statue of Ronaldo was unveiled next to Ronaldo Field at Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon.
By the time Ronaldo signed for Real Madrid in 2002, knee injuries had diminished his explosiveness from his early years. Despite this, Marca recognized him as a member of the "Best foreign eleven in Real Madrid's history".
In 2003, a poll by Nike listed Ronaldo as the world's most famous sportsperson and the third most famous person overall.
In 2004, Ronaldo was named in the FIFA 100 list of the greatest living players compiled by Pelé.
In 2014 José Mourinho regarded Ronaldo as the best player post-Diego Maradona.
In 2016, Rob Smyth of The Guardian wrote about Ronaldo's precocious talent stating, "Ronaldo is easily the best of the past 30 years, possibly ever."
In a 2017 interview with Fox Sports, Ronaldo stated that the best team he played in was the Brazilian one in 2002, emphasizing their collective spirit and lack of vanity.
In 2018, Ronaldo's performances at Inter Milan, especially in the first two seasons before his injury, led to him being named among the four inaugural inductees into the Inter Milan Hall of Fame.
In 2019, FourFourTwo named Ronaldo the best player never to win the UEFA Champions League.
In 2020, Sky Sports ranked Ronaldo the second-best player (after Diego Maradona) never to win the Champions League or European Cup.
As of September 2023, Ronaldo retired from international football as the second-highest goalscorer for his country, behind only Pelé. Neymar has since surpassed Pelé, with Ronaldo the third-highest scorer.
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