Brazilian footballer Ronaldo, who is now retired, has a net worth of $160 million. Ronaldo, also known as “R9” or “O Fenomeno” (The Phenomenon), had a significant financial impact on football despite spending only a brief amount of time in the spotlight. He was a prolific scorer who helped Brazil win the World Cup in 2002. He is also credited with modernising the game of football’s strikers. Ronaldo was regarded as the world’s greatest player at the height of his career. He is presently regarded as one of the greatest players in history.
He has won the Balon d’Or award twice, as well as three times as the FIFA World Player of the Year. He won the Balon d’Or for the first time when he was 21 years old, making him the youngest player to ever receive the award. At age 20, he became the youngest winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year award in history. Professional teams were willing to spend astronomical sums to sign Ronaldo, and he twice broke the record for the highest signing fee.
He is among the players who has scored the most goals throughout history. Only Pele has scored more goals for Brazil than he did with 62. He had 200 goals for club and country at the age of 23. However, a sudden onset of serious injuries caused Ronaldo’s career to end abruptly. Ronaldo appeared and vanished from the football game in what seemed like the blink of an eye.
After quitting the game, Ronaldo got deeply involved in charitable work and was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the UNDP. Additionally, he represented the 2014 FIFA World Cup as an ambassador. Real Valladolid is a team that Ronaldo bought in the Spanish La Liga in 2018.
Ronaldo Age: 46 years
Ronaldo Height: 1.83 m
Ronaldo Net Worth: $160 million
Ronaldo Career End: 2011
Ronaldo Wife: Maria Beatriz Antony (m. 2008–2012), Daniella Cicarelli (m. 2005–2005), Milene Domingues (m. 1999–2003)
Ronaldo Full Name: Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima
Ronaldo Early Life
On September 18, 1976, Ronaldo Luiz Nazario de Lima was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Ronaldo, who was raised with two siblings, began playing soccer in Rio’s streets at a young age. Ronaldo left school shortly after his parents’ divorced when he was 11 to pursue a career as a professional soccer player. He started out playing futsal, an indoor version of soccer, in a youth league and quickly rose to the position of league leader in scoring. He had 166 goals in just his first season. Futsal played a significant role in Ronaldo’s growth, teaching him close ball control and technical skills that would later serve as his playing career’s main strengths. Sports agents quickly acquired Ronaldo.
Ronaldo Career
In 1993, Ronaldo made his career debut for Cruzeiro of Brazil. When he was only 16 years old, he scored five goals in one game and gained attention on a global scale. Ronaldo joined the Brazilian World Cup team in 1994 but was only used as a substitute after scoring 44 goals in 47 games during his rookie season.
Ronaldo joined Dutch team PSV Eindhoven after the World Cup. Even though Ronaldo was only 18 years old, after scoring 30 goals in his debut season, some already questioned whether he had what it took to become the greatest player to ever play the game. His knee injury derailed his second season at PSV. Ronaldo joined Barcelona before the 1996–1997 season for a then-record $19.5 million transfer fee. He won the FIFA World Player of the Year Award at the conclusion of 1996 thanks to his unbelievable 47 goals in all competitions during his rookie season.
Ronaldo only played for Barcelona for one season before leaving for Inter Milan, where he once again set a world record by signing for $27 million. While at Inter, he eventually developed into a more complete striker and won his first Ballon d’Or despite having to get used to the Italian style of play during the first season.
Ronaldo represented Brazil as the starting striker at the FIFA World Cup in 1998, and many people thought he was the best player on the planet. Before a convulsive fit threatened to keep him out of the championship game, he scored continuously throughout the tournament. He miraculously made a full recovery just hours before the game, but he appeared confused, and Brazil lost to France in the final. Ronaldo should not have been permitted to play while experiencing seizure symptoms, a neurologist later concluded.
The years that followed saw Ronaldo develop significant knee problems. He completely tore the tendons in his kneecap in 2000. Ronaldo missed nearly three years of competitive play as a result, but he made a comeback in 2002 to help Brazil win the World Cup. He also signed a 46 million euro contract with Real Madrid in that same year. Ronaldo was a key member of Real, but he battled persistent injuries and weight problems while he was there.
Following his final World Cup appearance for Brazil in 2006, Ronaldo moved to A.C. Milan in 2007 for 8.05 million Euros. He experienced a second serious knee injury in 2008 and soon after signed with Corinthians in Brazil. When he finally announced his retirement in 2011, he disclosed for the first time that he had hyperthyroidism, which explained his problems with weight gain. He also acknowledged that, despite his desire to continue physically, his body was unable to do so after sustaining so many wounds. He played football for 18 years in total.
Ronaldo Nike Contract
Ronaldo was quickly signed to a lucrative contract by Nike. He agreed to a $180 million, 10-year contract and lifelong brand endorsement deal with Nike in 1996. Nike created the now-famous Mercurial R9 soccer boot for him soon after the contract was signed. The boots, which he wore during the 1998 FIFA World Cup, have gone on to become some of Nike’s most popular footwear. Similar Mercurial boots were later created for athletes like Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo. Additionally, Ronaldo has made numerous Nike commercial appearances over the years.
Ronaldo Other Brand Endorsements
Ronaldo has participated in a variety of other commercial appearances over the years in addition to his commitment to Nike. He has made some notable appearances in Snickers and Pirelli commercials, and he frequently appears in the “FIFA” video game series from EA.
Ronaldo Purchase of Real Valladolid
Ronaldo acquired a controlling interest in the La Liga team Real Valladolid, it was revealed in 2018. He acquired a 51% stake in the team for about 30 million euros, making him the team’s major shareholder. After being hired, Ronaldo declared that he was taking his new position as manager very seriously and that his goal was to assemble “the best team possible.”
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