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Ronaldo Luís Nazario de Lima ruled football at one point in the past. The two-time Ballon d'Or winner shot to prominence in his teenage years, and went on to register 295 goals and 76 assists in 452 club appearances. He ended his 18-year-career by hanging up his boots in 2011.
Now, more than a decade after his retirement, Ronaldo is still proving that class is permanent. The 45-year-old impressed one and all with his timeless skills and his finishing prowess in a recent local five-a-side outing.
In the now-viral footage, the former striker is seen humiliating a defender with a series of his trademark stepovers. Following a bit of a hiccup involving the goalkeeper, he rolled back the years by smashing the ball into the top-right corner.
After starting his professional career with Brazilian side Cruzeiro in 1993, he went on to play for Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, AC Milan and PSV in an injury-stricken career.
Despite the injuries, he became the all-time highest goalscorer (15) in the FIFA World Cup history in 2002 until the record was broken by Germany’s Miroslav Klose in the 2014 edition (16). For Brazil, he scored 62 goals in 98 matches.
Apart from his two FIFA World Cup wins in 1994 and 2002, he also won the Copa America twice and the bronze medal at the 1994 Olympics. He has also won the La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Cup at club level.
Unfortunately, consistent knee issues curtailed his career and stopped him from reaching his full potential.
Ronaldo's Real Valladolid returns to La Liga
Former Brazil striker Ronaldo, who bought 51% stake of Real Valladolid in 2018, celebrated the club’s return to La Liga from the second division earlier last month. Competing in the Segunda Division, Real Valladolid finished second with 81 points in the 2021/22 season.
Speaking to Spanish media [via AP] after his club's promotion, 'O Fenomeno' said:
"This is incredible. We worked hard and we fought, and even though we suffered until the last minute, we achieved the goal of returning to the first division. It’s a great triumph by this squad, the coaching staff and the fans."
He further added:
"We have to enjoy it. We are back where we deserve to be."
Ronaldo also bought a controlling stake in his boyhood club Cruzeiro last year.
