On September 18, 1976, Ronaldo Luiz Nazario de Lima was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Ronaldo, who was raised with two brothers, 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 young league and rapidly 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, later serving as his playing career’s main strength. Sports agencies swiftly acquired Ronaldo.
What is Ronaldo’s Net Worth and Salary?
Brazilian footballer Ronaldo, who is now retired, has a net worth of $150 million. Ronaldo, often known as “R9” or “O Fenomeno” (The Phenomenon), had a significant financial impact on football while spending only a brief length of time in the spotlight.
He was a prolific scorer who helped Brazil win the World Cup 2002. He is also acknowledged for modernizing the game of football’s strikers. Ronaldo was regarded as the world’s most outstanding player during the height of his career. He is presently considered as one of the greatest players in history.
He has won the Balon d’Or award twice and three times as the FIFA World Player of the Year. He won the Balon d’Or for the first time when he was 21, making him the youngest player to receive the award.
At age 20, he became history’s youngest FIFA World Player of the Year award winner. Professional teams were eager to spend astronomical sums to sign Ronaldo, and he twice smashed the record for the highest signing fee.
He is one of 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 by the age of 23.
However, a rapid start of significant injuries caused Ronaldo’s career to end quickly. Ronaldo emerged and vanished from the football game in the blink of an eye.
Check out the tweet that was provided by Ãbdül, which can be located further down on this page:
Footballers that are now club owners and their net worth.
A thread.
David Beckham and Ronaldo Nazario pic.twitter.com/ooYez75g7L
— Ãbdül (@IamAbdul___) June 16, 2023
After quitting the game, Ronaldo got deeply involved in charitable activities and was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the UNDP. Additionally, he represented the 2014 FIFA World Cup as an ambassador. Real Valladolid, a team in Spanish La Liga, was bought by Ronaldo in 2018, and Cruzeiro’s majority ownership was acquired by him in 2021.
When Did Ronaldo Make His Professional Debut for Cruzeiro?
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 utilized as a substitute after scoring 44 goals in 47 games during his first season.
Ronaldo joined Dutch team PSV Eindhoven after the World Cup. Even though Ronaldo was only 18, after scoring 30 goals in his debut season, some already questioned whether he had what it required to become the greatest player ever to play the game.
His knee injury derailed his second season at PSV. Ronaldo joined Barcelona before the 1996–1997 season on a then-record $19.5 million transfer fee. He won the FIFA World Player of the Year Award in 1996 thanks to his impressive 47 goals in all competitions during his first season.
Ronaldo only played for Barcelona for one season before leaving for Inter Milan, where he once again set a global record by signing for $27 million. While with Inter, he gradually developed into a complete striker and won his first Ballon d’Or despite getting used to the Italian style of play during the first season.
Ronaldo represented Brazil as the starting striker in 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 regularly throughout the tournament.
He amazingly made a full recovery just hours before the game, although he appeared confused, and Brazil lost to France in the final. A physician later concluded that Ronaldo should not have been let to play while experiencing seizure symptoms. The years that followed saw Ronaldo develop significant knee problems. He ultimately tore the tendons in his kneecap in 2000. Ronaldo missed nearly three years of competitive play but made a comeback in 2002 to help Brazil win the World Cup.
He also signed a 46 million euro contract with Real Madrid that year. Ronaldo was a significant member of Real but 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 significant knee injury in 2008 and signed with Corinthians in Brazil soon after.
When he finally announced his retirement in 2011, he disclosed for the first time that he had hyperthyroidism, which explained his problems with weight growth.
He also acknowledged that, despite his desire to continue physically, his body could not do so after sustaining many wounds. He played football for 18 years in total.
Here are some articles you might read if you’re interested in learning about the wealth of other celebrities:
- What is Justin Trudeau Net Worth? How Much Money Did He Got For Speaking in 2007?
- William Barr Net Worth: How Much Money Is Provided to Him As A Retirement Package?
- Gabrielle Union Net Worth: How Much Was His Miami Mansion Worth?
When Did Ronaldo Sign His Contract With Nike?
Ronaldo was quickly signed to a lucrative contract by Nike. He agreed to a $180 million, 10-year contract and lifetime brand endorsement deal with Nike in 1996. Nike created the now-famous Mercurial R9 soccer footwear for him soon after the contract was struck.
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.
What Did Ronaldo Aim to Build at Real Valladolid?
Ronaldo acquired a controlling interest in the La Liga team Real Valladolid, it was revealed in 2018. He earned a 51% part in the section for about 30 million euros, making him the team’s primary 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.”
For 400 million reais ($70 million at the time), he acquired a controlling interest in Cruzeiro, the club where he spent his formative years, in December 2021.
Keep yourself updated with all the latest news from our website Newswatchlist.com and get all the recent updates.
Leave a Reply