Ronaldo

Ronaldo (Ronaldo Luiz Nazario de Lima), 1976–, Brazilian soccer player. A son of Rio de Janeiro's back streets, he signed with his first professional club at 14. Nicknamed "The Phenomenon," the talented forward/striker has played for Brazil's Cruzeiro (1993–94), the Netherlands' Eindhoven (1994–96), Barcelona (1996–97), Inter Milan (1997–2002), Real Madrid (2002–6), and AC Milan (2006–), amassing numerous records, championships, and cups. An international superstar, Ronaldo has been on the Brazilian national team since 1994 and was part of World Cup–winning teams in 1998 and in 2002, when he was the tournament's top scorer. His career has been marked by severe knee injuries (1999, 2000) and striking comebacks; he was twice named European footballer of the year (1997, 2002) and three times world player of the year (1996–97, 2002).