#3 Ronaldo
Like his Portuguese namesake Cristiano, Brazil’s Ronaldo was once considered by fans and experts alike as the world’s best player. After going to the 1994 World Cup as a 17-year-old, Ronaldo moved to PSV Eindhoven where he proved a success, but it was at Barcelona where his reputation really soared.
The Brazilian only spent one season at the Nou Camp – 1996/97 – but he scored an insane 47 goals in 49 appearances using his explosive pace and unbelievable dribbling ability. At just 21 he had the world at his feet and it was no surprise when Inter Milan signed him for a then-world record fee of £27m.
Ronaldo hit the ground running at Inter too, scoring 34 goals in 47 appearances in his first season. That summer also saw him star for Brazil in the 1998 World Cup, scoring 4 goals as his team made the final.
While the tournament ended in a damp squib for him – he had a seizure prior to the final that left him a shadow of himself during the game – he was still named the Player of the Tournament. Unfortunately, it proved to be the peak of his career.
In November 1999, Ronaldo blew his knee out and was sidelined until the following April. Upon his comeback, he immediately re-injured the knee and the ordeal meant he only played 24 games across three seasons – completely missing 2000/01.
A surprising comeback in the 2002 World Cup for Brazil saw him re-capture his form – he finished the tournament as the top scorer as Brazil won the trophy – and a move to Real Madrid started well, but ended in a haze of injuries and weight issues. Moves to AC Milan and Corinthians couldn’t rejuvenate him either and he retired in 2011 at the age of 35.
While his peak was incredibly high – he was considered better than even Zinedine Zidane in the late 90s – due to his unfortunate knee injuries, he never truly got back to the level he was at during his early run at Inter.
