Multiple Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo won the World Cup twice and featured in two Copa America triumphs while also amassing silverware during his time at PSV, Barcelona, Inter, Real Madrid and AC Milan; but sadly for this Brazilian phenomenon the way he finished his career often overshadows many of his wonderful achievements in the game.
Regarded by many as the original Ronaldo and still one of the greatest players ever to have graced the game the superstar enjoyed an illustrious career spanning over 18 years that saw him play for some of the most famous clubs in Europe having started his career at the age of 16 with Cruzeiro in 1993.
But when he jogged off the field on 7 August 1994 following a 1-1 draw against Rio side Botafogo it would be the last time that he played in the Brazilian league for another 15 years as he set about conquering Europe; before returning for one last hurrah in his beloved homeland with Corinthians.
Following spells in Holland, Spain and Italy Ronaldo would accumulate an impressive haul of medals including the Dutch Cup, Copa del Rey, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Cup and La Liga twice as well as being voted FIFA Player of the Year on three occasions and receiving the Ballon d'Or a couple of times. If that wasn’t enough he also scored a record 15 World Cup finals goals and also smashed the world transfer-fee record twice before he was even 21.
But for all his achievements and staggering numbers, which saw him average a goal every 1.5 games, his career was often punctuated by long spells on the sidelines. A factor which probably prevented him from winning more trophies and scoring more goals at his peak; and on 13 February 2008, he suffered another season-ending knee injury while playing for Milan which all but ended his time in European football.
It was the third time he’d suffered such a blow, subsequently being released by Milan at the end of the season and while for many players that would have signalled the end Ronaldo would not be denied; returning to his homeland to continue his rehabilitation and prolong his playing days.
Initially Ronaldo trained with Flamengo, the club he’d supported as a boy, who were keen to offer him an avenue back into the game when he was fully fit. However, Ronaldo instead signed a one-year deal with their bitter league rivals Corinthians in a move that few could have predicted.
Ronaldo's homecoming captivated the nation with thousands of column inches dedicated to Brazil's favourite son and his erratic behaviour. Gossip magazines were fascinated by his nocturnal activities and his expanding waistline as the paparazzi followed his every move for weeks on end.
Shortly after he signed for Corinthians photographs emerged of him outside a Sao Paulo nightclub in the early hours of the morning in a rather compromising position with a young lady and with his debut for the club fast approaching the striker was also fined £15,000 for returning to the team hotel at 5.30am following a night out.
Ronaldo eventually played his first match for Corinthians on March 4, 2009, in a Copa do Brasil match against Itumbiara which saw him take the field as a substitute but the star was the shadow of his former self as he lumbered around the pitch with The Globo newspaper claiming: "Ronaldo showed he is still a long way off the physical condition you expect from a professional player.”
The man himself was rather more optimistic about his return, though, telling TV reporters: “This was just the start. Now there's no stopping me," and true to his word just four days later he scored his first Corinthians goal in a Campeonato Paulista match against Palmeiras.
But it wasn’t all bad. Far from it. And in his first season back Ronaldo helped Corinthians win the Campeonato Paulista as well as the club’s third Brazil Cup after defeating Internacional in the final with his 12 goals in 20 games that season even securing a contract extension for the following season.
But in February 2011, after Corinthians were eliminated from the Copa Libertadores, Ronaldo finally confirmed the inevitable and announced his retirement from football, bringing the curtain down on a glittering 18-year career.
The time that "Fenomeno" spent at Corinthians will not define his career as the mere mention of his name will more often than not conjure up images of his iconic Christ The Redeemer-like celebration in the colours of Barcelona, Madrid or Brazil.
However, for fans of Corinthians, Ronaldo - with his goofy grin, elaborate dress sense and lanky physique - will always be looked upon as a hero as, not only did his signing and 35 goals in 69 games bring about a change in fortunes which eventually led to the club being crowned world champions in 2012; but the move also brought about a huge marketing deal which the club has continued to benefit from in the years since.
