Who’s the original Ronaldo? Brazil legend made name famous before Cristiano in World Cup history originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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A whole generation of world football fans knows the name Ronaldo because of one man: Cristiano, the legendary Portugal goal scorer who is currently playing in his sixth World Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo, though, is not the original Ronaldo. One of the greatest scorers ever shared that name, and he came first.
Throughout this World Cup, that man — Ronaldo Nazario — has been shown on television broadcasts, in attendance at games, watching this generation of stars shine on the pitch.
It’s worth remembering just how special the original Ronaldo really was.
Who is the original Ronaldo?
The Ronaldo before Cristiano was named Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima — Ronaldo Nazario, for those talking about the history of the game.
At the time, the Brazilian striker was known simply as Ronaldo. He didn’t need another name.
He had epic nicknames — O Fenomono, and R9.
He also had one of the great resumes of any era.
Ronaldo Nazario won two Ballon d’Or awards as the top player in the world.
With Brazil, he won a pair of World Cups, including as a 17-year old in 1994 and then in the magnificent front three with Ronaldinho and Rivaldo in 2002, when Ronaldo scored twice in the final and won the Golden Boot.
Ronaldo scored 15 goals in his World Cup career, which was a record before Miroslav Klose and Lionel Messi came along.
In all, Ronaldo played 98 matches for Brazil, scoring 62 goals.
At club level, he played for Cruzeiro, PSV, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, AC Milan and Corinthians, scoring 280 goals in his club career.
Now 49 years old, Ronald owns Real Valladolid in Spain.
More than anything, it’s ironic that his name has been adopted in a new generation by an entirely different footballer.
But it takes just a moment on the screen, when the announcers realize who’s being shown in the stands, to recognize the original Ronaldo’s impact.
They speak of him with awe, because he was a player who warranted such tones.
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most accomplished players in this sport’s history. But Ronaldo Nazario came first.
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