Try The Athletic for FREE for 30 days: theathletic.com/tifofootball
📗 Tifo's new book, "How to Watch Football" is now available internationally: linktr.ee/tifobook
There was a period before Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and after Pele and Maradona, where no one player held the Greatest Of All Time crown. But one player could have done, if it hadn’t been for horrid misfortune with injury.
O Fenômeno. Ronaldo, the original Ronaldo.
This is why we’ll never know just how good Ronaldo was. Written by Seb Stafford-Bloor, illustrated by Alice Devine.
Follow Tifo Football:
Twitter: / tifofootball_
Facebook: / tifofootball
Instagram: / tifofootball_
Listen to the Tifo Football podcast:
The Athletic UK: bit.ly/TifoPodChannel
Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/TifoFootPod
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/06QIGhq...
Watch more Tifo Football: Tactics Explained: • Tactics Explained | Ti...
Finances & Laws: • Finances & Laws | Tifo...
Tifo Football Podcast: • Tifo Football Podcast
Most Recent Videos: • Most Recent Videos | T...
1 Popular Videos: • Popular Videos | Tifo ...
About Tifo Football:
Tifo loves football. We create In-depth tactical, historical and geopolitical breakdowns of the beautiful game.
We know there’s an appetite for thoughtful, intelligent content. For stuff that makes the complicated simple.
We provide analysis on the Premier League, Champions League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, World Cup and more.
Our podcasts interview some of the game’s leading figures. And our editorial covers football with depth and insight.
Founded in 2017 and became a part of The Athletic in 2020. For business inquiries, reach out to tifo@theathletic.com.
Music sourced from epidemicsound.com
Additional footage sourced from freestockfootagearchive.com
#Ronaldo #Brazil #RealMadrid
The amount of professional players that say R9 would’ve easily been the greatest player of all time if it weren’t for his injuries is a staggering endorsement of his greatness.
Some even say he was the best player they've ever seen, DESPITE all the injuries. Which is indeed staggering. That's huge generational impact.
Greatness also needs longevity
@@shadez221 Totally disagree
which ones ?
Rather trust their opinions than keyboard warriors
R9 was utterly outrageous before the knees went
Goat rankings; Messi Cristiano Pele Maradona R9 Zidane Ronaldinho
I can't be arsed with your lists, lads
@@alpFiLarubbish. Ronaldo de Lima is the best. Messi and Cristiano are nothing. There are better footballers than those two frauds
Ronaldo Nazario de Lima.
@@RichMitchfair enough
Before his injuries the kid had a nearly 1 goal a game since he was 16yo, had 1 ballon dor, france football player of the year award, destroyed in 2 different continents, killed it in 4 leagues, broke the world record transfer fee twice and was part of a world cup winning squad. He was 22 when his career ended as far as his original potencial. To me he will always be the best i ever saw.
In 98 he was the player with the most goal contributions of the WC, 4 goals and 3 assists.
@@user-xh7ew7ju7w pretty sure mbape had better numbers in both world cups
The fact he was only 22 os crazy
He was 2 x World Player of the Year by the age of 21. Remember the Ballon D’or wasn’t important until in merged with World Player of the Year in 2010. In the 90s the Ballon D’or was known as ‘European Player of The Year Year’
Hear, hear.
In Brazil we care a lot more about football itself than numbers. Ronaldo is a national hero and an icon of the highest order. Some players had more goals, longevity, trophies and individual awards but if you’re looking at raw talent, beautiful game and influence on other players and the general public, I don’t think someone can be compared to R9. What he did in Barcelona and Inter prior to his injury and what he did for Brazil in 2002 after nearly 2 years out definitely qualify him as one of the best ever and possibly the best 9 of all times.
You’re probably right. Players tend to try to imitate things they can achieve. But the level of genius of Maradona and Messi are unobtainable. You have to be born with that split second decision making. You can’t learn it. That’s why a lot of young strikers try to imitate Cristiano, because its possible. However, R9 was way better.
As an Argentinian, I can tell you there is no possibly about it, Ronaldo Nazário is the best 9 to have ever played the game.
@@Marlonbrando1225 you also can't obtain Ronaldo's explosive movement with the ball and also his instintc. Never.
For you brazilians: yes i agree r9 is (for me) the goat. But what do brazil ppl say about adriano? i think he had explosive potential but the dead of his father destroyed him
@@xXSpiKeXx24553that's pretty much what is said about him. Usually his carisma makes most people ignore that he was a wasted talent and just enjoy that he is happily retired
Best way to sum up how good and loved he was is that he played for both Milan clubs and real Madrid and Barcelona, and is still loved by all those fans.
Fact
It's because he kept his mouth shut for the most part. As soon as you get into a derby brawl or say something negative about your rival in the media, there's no coming back from that.
@@afa78djdLol he scored against the Curva Nord of Inter Milan and shut them
For me, R9 and Ronaldinho are the best in the world. But then some people say that their career was short compared to Messi and CR7. But anyways, I see Messi and Cr7 more like marketing than footballers.
@@Neo-Reloadedye same, it depends on what you value most. I value performance/efficiency but above that I value skill. Ronaldo is the most skilled/complete forward I've ever seen, and that's coming from someone who grew up watching Messi.
R9 highlights are so insane that they don’t even seem realistic. No striker has even come close to his combination of power, dribbling, finishing.
@ghandibanks the only players that come close are Thierry Henry and Luis Suarez
Thierry Henry came close. Keyword: close. Like about 85-90 percent of Prime Ronaldo. It's a shame he never had a peak. His body gave up before his spirit did.
Romario defenetly beat him in finishing and heading easily but yeah r9 was more complete
i don't think they ever will, r9s dribbling playstyle was extremely unhealthy for the knees so we'll likely never see those skills/dribbling again
@@mrpickleyeah3973 the 90's had some amazing players
As a 35 year old and watching this guy in my teens and before I think he's the most exciting 'fun' player I ever watched. Closely followed by Ronaldinho and the elegance of Zidane, 1996 - 2006 was such a great era for football.
Football died after the 2006 WC.
@@emmanueluwaifo3045football died FOR YOU not for the rest of us lol
@emmanuel - no it didn’t 🤣 Messi and CR are ending one of the greatest eras of football we’ve seen in a long time. Now the sport is going to force a new rivalry : Mbappe / Haaland 🥱 💤
definitely the best era in football. 20-25 years ago from an entertainment pov. Its the peak where many different factors all came together. Where you had a wonderful mix of natural talent, creativeness and technical ability, defenders able to defend and the rules allowing a more physical approach, you still had incredible athletes who could run all day like the modern player, and you still had guys as fast as anyone playing the game now - Henry, Djirbril Cisse, R9, Kaka, Overmars, Martins to name a few.
You've said it much better than me. There's no doubt Messi and cristiano are two of the greatest and they've been front and centre for the last 15 years but yeah agree with your point and it's what I meant@@gladiatorscoops4907
In one of his recent interviews, he briefly commented on his mindset as a forward and it just emphasized to me how much of a surgical player he was. He said something along the lines of 'when you're facing the goalkeeper, you don't need to do anything. They will act the first. And only then you make a decision'.
He said it to his striker, whom replied to R9: "That's easy for you. You are Ronaldo. I am not!"
Brain surgeon with jet speed and clas..
He is the one player who truly felt like Michael Jordan while I was growing up. The flair, the celebration, the 2002 haircut. Everything about him felt so cool and larger than life. Even if you weren't a football fan then, you knew about the name 'Ronaldo'. He's the one player you call the greatest and no one argues about it.
And he became even more otherworldly when he wore those gold boots for the first time.
in 1998, the only football player my mom and my grandma know is Ronaldo even though they never love football. Yes in Vietnam, when there was only television and radio to know what happen in the world, not easy as today with Internet.
*except Messi & CR7 fanboys
Exactly, he was the best Ronaldo, lightyears better than Penaldo the over-rated tap in merchant who dives for pens. R9 was a complete footballer who could dribble past 3 to 5 players, godly ball control and composure, legendary playmaker, free kick and aerial specialist. Pendu wishes he was that great.
He was great, but that haircut 😂😂😂😂 it always looked comical.
I remember having a convo with my cousins kid about R9 and the best way I could make the point to him about how good Ronaldo was, was that Messi broke the Barca goals in a single season in 09/10 at the age of 24, having played for Barca from age 17. Ronaldo set that record in 96, in his first season there...as a teenager (19).
🥶🥶🥶🥶
This
The best way to describe R9 was to say that he did Ronaldinho level skills at full speed of prime Cristiano Ronaldo
Actually messi was 22 in 09/10 but point still stands
Yup 💯 I remember when Messi broke that record.. thinking to myself that R9 did that his first season
Ronaldo o Fenomeno dominated the Brazilian league at barely 17 like noone else, scoring 34 goals in 34 games. He then went to the Netherlands and repeated the feat(in a much competitive league)aged 18 years old, and then joined Barca at 19 years old having one of the best individual seasons in the history of football. All this at 19! This season would award him the Ballon D'or. At Inter he was the best player in the world by far, until he suffered one of the worst injuries in football. I find it incredible how he recovered after that injury and won Brazil the World Cup in 2002. Even without the "What could have been?" he's had an incredible career, especially international wise. He was a monster at 4 different clubs, and even at Real Madrid despite so many injuries he had a goal ratio of 0.65, many world class strikers in their prime don't have these numbers. 414 goals in 616 appearances, and 88 of those goals were scored after rounding the keeper. That's a ratio of 0.67 overall. He had everything, speed, technique and strength. Perhaps that kind of body was not sustainable long term, but I can't say for sure. Even with so many injuries he still achieved a lot in football. For me he is the best number 9 of all time.
netherlands wasn't much more competitive at that time
@@PimentelES You are wrong, PSV were European champions a few years before Ronaldo joined them, and Ajax won the Champions League while he was playing in the Netherlands.
I saw him live in Italy with number 10 ! Yes 10 not 9 ! Nobody comes close !
@@BWSBwoi My point is that the best club in Europe and the best in Brazil were comparable before the rise of tatics and money football. Romario also got annoyed by Europe and decided to play the rest of his career in Brazil
I got R9 as the greatest footballer ever. And besides stats, awards, records etc. and him being a genius, complete player, he played in the greatest, most competitive period in football history as well: 90s-2000s. The "quickest" way you can see this is by taking a look at the national teams. Its absurd how amazing they were. There was an abundance of legends like the world had never seen before or after this period. R9 was just out of this world. 🇧🇷⚽️🥇👽
I totally agree, it was the baller era. The amount of legends in that period is ridiculous.
Even after knee injuries at 50% this guy still won a World Cup and finished top scorer in the tournament. Also went to Madrid and won the league there despite been a shadow of himself. He still had the talent and class which never went away.
And in 2006, despite having weight problem and clearly not at the top of his game, still lead the line.
@@Account.for.Comment and scored a proper Ronaldo goal against Nigeria in that World Cup doing a step-over dummy goal!
He was later diagonised with hypothyroidism, which slows down metabolisim and leads to weight gain. I feel sad people do not know that. He's not lazy, its dna. @@Account.for.Comment
talking about the world cup when he came back from a 2 year injure, he scored 8 goals in that edition. nobody had achieved that in 40 years and nobody did it again after him.
Watched a documentary on his injuries, that first knee injury was supposedly so bad the doctors thought he’d never walk again, they’d never seen it in a football, looked more like a skiing injury. Absolutely madness that he literally won every thing with no working knees 😭😭😭🤣🤣🤣
The highlights of just his first (and only) season at Barcelona are mind boggling. The most artistically beautiful playing I’ve ever seen. The elegance of Zidane, speed of Henry, agility and touch of Messi, tricks of young Cristiano, both footed, headers, outside the box. He could do it all. He rounded the keeper and scored solo goals countless times
88 of his goals were scored by rounding the goalkeeper. I mean, that by itself is incomprehensible
@@3starbadman Dude basically made goalkeepers obsolete lol
Even when already past his prime, R9 continued to wow teammates like Zidane, who readily named him as the teammate who wowed him the most. In training he could come up with anything - and let us be reminded that this is *Zidane* we are talking about. The dude is no slouch at technique, footballing skills, or creativity himself...
@@3starbadmanH He used to drop his shoulder, shimmy, shake and just sit keepers down lol
Good points. The only thing is Ronaldo R9 is the senior of all the players that u mentioned except zizou. So, Cristiano had the speed of R9, Messi has the touches of R9 etc. He brought it to us in one package not the other way around. But we know what you mean.
Back in 1998, in the remote corners of Assam in North East India, we didn't had cable tv and frequent power cuts.. couldn't watch the world cup.. but regional language newspapers had him in the front pages.. as a 9 yr old, I knew his name like that ..and in 2002 finally saw him thanks to TEN sports..
He’s the youngest Ballon d’Or ever, before this era of statistics. That means a lot. And for those who watched his games, there’s nobody near to him nowadays
Absolutely. Nothing come close to this man.
He is in my personal G.O.A.T list. I don't care what anyone says. I saw it with mine own eyes. His is the phenomenon.
And obviously better than Cr7, but nobody is ready for this conversation.
@@FromNoWhereXIII ?? disagree.
@@ignis6144 well you cant argue better. cr7 is prob worrse than most players in the top 100 list by ability. but he played on a top level for years and had huge success. but he cant offer much more than shots and very good non pen goal scoring. but he cant touch players like messi, pele, van basten or müller even in scoring.
Damn right. R9 is the goat 🐐
@@dasurmel1424wtf are you even saying? I mean you guys are just insane, nobody with sane mind would say that, no matter how much of a hardcore Messi fan they are.
His performance at the 2002 world cup after coming back from injury says everything about R9. An absolute legend. His season at Barcelona was insane, I have the Barca shirt from that 1995 season with Ronaldo 9 on the back
Same, I have 3 😅 🤓
@@letmetellyalilstory9122 can u giveaway those ?
Te compro ese jersey del barcelona 😅 my totalmente de acuerdo ver jugar a Ronaldo era un deleite y igual pienso que después de una lesión de tantos años llegar a la copa del mundo del 2002 ser goleador llegar contra Alemania y clavar 2 goles lo dice todo Ronaldo el mejor jugador que vi jugar sin duda 😎☝🏻👏🏻
Being born on 1983, i saw (live) little of Maradona, none of Pelé (but i saw a lot of footage... Really a lot), but all of messi, CR and R9. Ibra, Benzema, Henry, Backham, Figo, and a whole lot of others say that he's the GOAT. For me, it's him, hands down. It's like F1. Take the numbers and you have Schumacher or Hamilton. But Senna and Prost were on a different level. It's not just about numbers...
@@mtdelnero yeah I love F1 and Senna and Mansell were my favourite drivers. R9 and Maradonna are my favourite players plus Ronaldinho, Di Canio and Payet ( I'm a West Ham fan)
He was applauded and given a standing ovation in Old Trafford despite scoring a hattrick against them. Mental
Diego Maradona: "Ronaldo is the greatest striker of all-time. Without injuries, he would've been the best player of all-time, I have absolutely no doubt about this. He would've made the world forget about me and Pele."
i watched an interview with both of them and Maradona was saying to r9 he was the best player he ever saw
The late and great Siniša Mihajlović once said "Ronaldo starts a counter, while Nesta and I are alone in defense". Goes to show what kind of greatness he was.
UEFA Cup Final: Inter vs Lazio. Prime R9 vs Prime Nesta. Billed as the best defender vs the best striker. The result? Nesta later spent much time viewing video reels of that match, trying to figure out where he went wrong. He eventually realised he didn't. Nesta, by then already Serie A Defender of the Year several times, would not have been able to stop R9 no matter what he did or how well he had played. Ronaldo was just that good, he concluded.
@@molh394 if Alessandro Nesta was a triplet and they all played that game with Sinisa, they might have had a chance. Some moves in that game, R9 made the defenders look like Amateurs
@@molh394nice story
@@molh394 And Nesta was probably the most naturally talented centre back ever. He was in many ways what R9 was for attackers.
Sinisa is late?!?!
Here in Italy, Ronaldo is in the top 3 players of all time for most people. I was 7 when he played for Inter, what a sight to behold, he was Il Fenomeno.
Italian know football
E vero
Who is top 1 and 2 ?
@@namtrinhhai1035Maradona and Messi
@@arthurtavares4999😂😂
Something the video is missing. When Ronaldo came back to Brazil he was by far the best forward in our league. The only who reached a similar level was Neymar and Ronaldo was finishing his career when he did that, I'm really grateful that he played for Corinthians. I have a jersey here with his name and number and I'll never sell it.
You forget the Greek striker who played two seasons, Testicles.
I dont understand how someone mentions Neymar in the same sentence as a GOAT like R9
His form in the lone season at Barcelona and his days at Inter prior to injury are probably unparalleled. Barring aerial dominance, he had everything.
Maldini, Nesta and Cannavaro in a recent Italian podcast all said R9 was the best they've ever played against. And they played against him before the injuries and when they themselves were stil in their prime themselves. They also played against Messi and Cristiano. All 3 said messi and Cristiano are some of the greatest ever but R9 was in a league of his own. Cannavaro: He gave us a feeling of impotism. We were strong, he was even stronger, we were fast he was even faster. Nesta after losing the Uefa cup final wasn't sad but serene. He thought to himself what could I have don't better and he concluded nothing. R9 was just too good to be stopped. For Maldini only Maradona was as good as R9 as he also played against him when madardona was at Napoli. Maldini played against Maradona, messi, Cristiano and pre injury R9.
Maldini NEVER played against Messi
He didn’t play against messi
Not to mention that R9 did never reach his prime. Because he was destroyed on such a young age by 2 major injuries and a disease. But even a destroyed R9 was the best of his era. On 60% after being almost 2 years out he won the price for best player of the world in 2002. The 100% R9 is till this day unmatched in both performances on the field and stats.
The man was the monsterer among the monsters
However cannavaro said maradona is the best of all time
I've always maintained that pre-knee injury R9 was the greatest footballer there has ever been. An absolute monster.
He was and still is the most talented striker I have seen. Amazing to see how unstoppable he was. Literally changed the nature of the game.
His finishing was simply magical. Perfect balance of power and precision with both feet. He was a 1 on 1 finisher of the HIGHEST caliber. Really miss the guy👌
He dribbled the keeper 88 times! Nobody else has ever been as good at their peak as Ronaldo was at 17, and at 21, he was twice the player!
To think what Ronaldo and Van Basten could have done without injuries. Maybe that's part of their charm
Liverpool Michael Owen
At least people have seen prime Van Basten. His injuries just cut his career short. With Ronaldo, his injury came in his early 20s and we end up never seeing the true peak of him, and he was already unplayable in early 20s
People haven't seen prime Van Basten. They have seen a player that played with extreme pain from his early 20s, making it impossible to reach his prime. Could you imagine how good he could be without the pain.
@@pascallovic I don't think I can imagine, that's the problem 😂
Van Basten's injuries ended his career at the age of 30, R9's injuries effectively ended his career at the age of 34 which is remarkable given how serious they were
As a kid I remember the genuine excitement everyone I knew had for the 2002 WC final, it was like everyone already knew R9 was going to score in that game, everyone was excited for the game, and this was in South Africa. His greatness was celebrated globally
The ultimate attacking footballer IMO. He had everything before the injuries , which paradoxically came down to his style of play and his physical build (doctors managed him poorly in regards to recovery from injury and general approach to his physical development). Truly one of a kind, my no 1 for eternity.
Post-knee injury R9 was probably about 60% of his older self, still a world-class striker. That just shows how scary he was in his prime.
In other words , R9 played most of his career with broken knees and yet remembered as the best striker ever This describes how crazy he was
Messi's statement mirrors my own. He's the best out-and-out striker I've ever witnessed. He was a force of nature; O Fenômeno.
How unprecedented his abilities were at the time is the main thing people need to understand. It was exactly the same kind of impact and aura that Jonah Lomu had in rugby union around the same time. Game changing.
I was 9 when he was at the top and I swear every single child dreamt to be Ronaldo. We all had Ronaldo shirts. We were always shouting his name while scoring at local matches. He was just way beyond football
In all seriousness, he had already become the best in the world by the age of 20, and talents of that caliber are quite rare. He displayed incredible skills, but his game heavily relied on his speed and technique. This isn't a flaw, but players of this style often peak early. It's unclear how much better Ronaldo could have become. If he had maintained the same level of performance he had as a teenager throughout his career, one can only wonder. However, even without injuries, it seems he wasn't the most diligent worker, so the possibilities are uncertain.
Similar story with Owen
❌ “ IF “ ❌ If Bale never got injured… If Hazard never got injured… If Neymar never got injured… Injuries has little to do with luck & more to do with player treat & discipline when it comes to training & preparation🔥True great players rarely get injured🤏
@@duran9664That's the most ignorant statement I've ever heard.
@@duran9664 not quite true have you seen the stats on how many fouls Neymar was the recipient of he was regularly the most fouled player in Europe by a wide margin
@@ngueneTbf, Neymar is not a great case study. He invites tackles by means of both his actions (with and without the ball) and his character. He goes out of his way to irritate opponents. I'm not saying it's right that he then receives rough treatment but it is inevitable.
For me R9 was the reason why I developed the love for the beautiful game. The absolute shock you'd experience as a kid when you watched his runs and body balance has never been replicated for me. He moved like a tank with the precision of a laser cutter.
Not Ronaldinho's smile like the rest of us?
@ThePaleKingDFW Have you ever found yourself in love with a hurricane? That was the phenomenon for us Ronaldinho was the magician; magicians defy reality. Ronaldo was the crushing reality, a natural phenomenon. Unavoidable. Could the best coaches, defenders and keepers predict him? Yes, but do meteorologists, fire fighters and emergency services really stop hurricanes? 😅
@@diogomm710 very poetic, my friend. I respect it.
@@diogomm710Damn i like that haha
Really cool video. I'm Brazilian and I feel that I got lucky twice. First because I got to watch him tear everything up in the NT during my childhood and then he somehow landed at the club I support and ended his career with us. He arrived at Corinthians pretty overweight, completely banged up and well past his prime and still, he brought us so much joy. From day one it was a success. He was way smarter and way more technically gifted than everyone around him and he showed it every time he got on the ball. Those last few years of his career made me realize how crazy his skill was and how scary he must've been in his prime because that kind of genius with that kind of power and strength to execute it is an astounding combination that I don't think it's been matched yet since.
Its also worth noting his goal tally may seem lesser than some other attacking giants but thats because he played a huge chunk of his prime in Italy. That period of Italy had perhaps the greatest defense a league has ever shown. A proof of that is the fact Italy only conceded 2 goals in 06 World cup, one being a Penalty , an iconic one at that by Zidane in the final and an unfortunate own goal by Zaccardo but thats it. If Messi, Ronaldo played in that league ,in that era they would definitely have lesser than they have right now.
Lightning quick before injury Can dribble and shoot with both feet Extremely high composure almost every shot hits the goal Very good heading ability coupled with great positioning Multiple tricks, elastico, le marseille turn, etc Can score from free kicks but usually let others take them almost never miss a penalty One of the earlier pioneers of goal celebrations Always good link up play with other players Able to adapt after his injuries, from super forward to goal poacher We love him and he love us back
That's exactly what Cristiano Ronaldo is
@@PrinceLobo-es8klCr7 doesn't let "others take them".
No He didn't had good playmaking That was his only limitation!!
That's CR7 is it? One difference is CR7 is much more consistent, in which is the most important thing in modern football.
Wasn't so great when it comes to heading, sure he could score headers but not one of best in that aspect. He was dominant both physically and technically no one has had this combination of power and technique, youngest player to reach 200 goals at a time in which fouls and cards weren't given easilly.
Ronaldo was the first player to really benefit from the commercial boom of football in the 90s (along with Beckham of course). He was the face of the Nike ads when they started to dominate football, and was the guy every kid wanted to play like growing up in the late 90s.
100%
Excellent point.
I literally cried watching this video. If I could solve one "what if" in football history, it would be a fit, injury free and disciplined Ronaldo. As in the video mentioned, he did things no one did before and no one did after. Until 1999 he came up with something new every week, he reinvented himself in every match, that's what made him such a spectacle because you didn't know what crazy thing he would do next. You only knew that you were going to witness something special and extraordinary. Along with Messi my favorite player of all time.
Same messi and R9 are my all time favorite.
He was also not that disciplined
R9’s influence on the older generation was unthinkable. He made me love football. I remember I was super excited when the day that he plays arrives. I was pumped prior to every game he plays that I can remember. I doubt any player in the future will make me feel excited like R9 made me.
Yeeeaaahhhh ... That's what is all about ! Bingo
Devastating knee injuries aside, what blows my mind is how good he was with a thyroid condition that was undiscovered and untreated until 2007, when his career was basically already over. Anyone who's been through that without it being treated (whether your doctor misdiagnoses you with something else, or you just get on with it) will tell you how hard it is to function, not only physically but cognitively and mentally as well. And the condition would likely have developed in his mid-teens, before taking over a decade to develop and ultimately be discovered after becoming far more debilitating. Staggering.
🎯🎯🎯
Crazy how The greatest Defender ever ,Maldini Said he’s the best he has ever faced ,R9 was just Different
@@Footypassion11 imagine he was healthy and had normal knees!
Thiroid desease was a lie , ronaldo after world cup 2002 became a party monster , eating all type of foods etc. after so much injuries and all after winning world cup, he became careless with his fitness .
@@UpliftingMusicbr is there any proof that a world class athlete would just choose to eat too much? Especially as he slimmed down after diagnosis in 2007 🤔
The fact he was the best player on the planet after ACL injuries, shows how naturally gifted he was 🤯🤯
and that he had an impressive mindset. most players would just give up after such an injury.
Not just ACL, he had total tear of the meniscus tendon as well, at that time no footballer had ever recovered from this injury and returned to the top level.
the redemption story arc after that major injury is part of the legend.
He ruptured his patellar tendon completely
ACL injuries are fairly easy to recover from, because both the surgery and the physiotheraphy are/were well stablished. He had a patellar tendom full rupture - very rare, very new. There were many serious doctors that hypothetized he could never recover and truth be told, he never fully did...
Late 90s and early 2000s were the peak of football quality. And this guy was able to fool and blast trough the toughest defenders that ever existed. His body strentgh is way over any modern attacker. He was able to dribble smoothly while running and enduring contacts. Everything that he endured is a foul today (even a card). Remember that this guy fooled with Maldini and Nesta Cannavaro Zanetti and many others.
I was 6 years old when he played the 98 world cup and since that moment i dreamt to be Ronaldo. When i was playing football as a kid I used to celebrate goals just like him. Anyway, he is my favorite player ever, the best i've ever seen. Football cannot be measured ONLY by numbers (although they are important). That's why for me he is the best. Yes, CR7 is a monster, Messi is a genius, but Ronaldo had something special.
The stuff he was doing will be forever legendary. Even after his knee injuries he was still ahead of many in the game.
Form is Temporary but Class is Permanent, indeed.
People didn't compare him with another goat because he's on his own league... Can score goals from any place, explosive pace, hard to mark and tackle... Really phenomenal
And never won a Champions League 😭
won 2 WC tho @@paulocamara4807
@@paulocamara4807That's life for you. It works in ways you can never see it coming. His teammates, Ronaldinho and Roberto Carlos manage to win Champion League in earlier and late boom of their career in Europe. For Ronaldo, he didn't get that for his case of trophies and career, yet life gave him back something else that fit what people called him. That Ronaldo scored in every matches in the World Cup except the one against England, where Ronaldinho and Rivaldo shine instead. A year later, at Old Trafford, home of "Red Devils" Manchester United, they gave him a standing ovation despite being knocked out by him with a Hat-Tricks. It's something Ronaldo said himself he has never experienced another moment like that since. In a way, that's also the compensation for the CL he didn't have yet worth far more, the respect, the worth and the appreciation from a country he didn't get to "convince" with his pure talents.
lol. The nostalgia is real. He was good, but longevity matters. Otherwise, Hazard would be one of the GOATs too
By ur logic pato and hazard>r9?
When he shaved the triangle in his hair for world cup final. That guy was top 5 of all time.
It was an absolute joy to watch him play. Seen him flick the ball up to throw the defender off in one direction, then with his knee pushed the ball in the other direction. In a sprint.
I'll tell you one thing. The feeling I had when I first watched r9 playing was unique and it was never ever repeated afterwards. He was much faster than every other
Agree. He is an anomaly. Just different class then the rest in the field.
Both Ronaldo and Ronaldhino will always stick out in my mind as among the greatest players ever. I began watching football when I was six and the 2002 World Cup was the first major tournament I ever saw. I was heartbroken to see Brazil knock England out, but watching the Brazilians (particularly these two) was an experience.
i remember that world cup well (i'm german) and brazil played like they had activated a cheat mode. germany conceded only 3 goals in that tournament and 2 of them were scored by ronaldo in the final. and that was after he came back from his knee injury
& that legendary free kick by Ronaldinho against England ✨
Reminds me of Oliver Khan@@NR-fd9wv
The match against England was very tough. The media kept reminding us about the dangerous Beckham and Owen combination. But also Ferdinand and Campbell, great defenders. It's always great watching a high-level match like that one.
As a brazilian I can say that even in his final career he shows lots of that skills here at Corinthians, a brazilian team. I love Batistuta, Owen, Maradona, CR7, Messi and others, but Ronaldo was special for so many people aroung the world and so consistent. Wish we can see another special players in the future all over the world to enchant us
Watching R9 its like on drugs, even without taking it. watch him plays was pure joy.
Romario is also up there, both in habilty and in goalscoring, but his option to play in his hometown of Rio de Janeiro after the 1994 World Cup diminished his recongition for the european public. Also: Injuries cost him the 1998 World Cup and the lack of discipline made him miss the 2002 campaign as well.
Romario is severely underrated but I think without his attitude problems, he would have easily made at least a top 10 GOAT. His positioning in the box was GOAT level.
Romario was incredible. There’s a great doc on here called Romario At Barcelona. I’m pretty sure it’s in that film that I heard the great description of Romario… “The Maradona of the Final Third”. That’s how talented he was. He probably gave his best years to PSV where fewer people saw him, then played an unbelievable season at Barca then won the World Cup the next summer and after that gave absolutely zero f*cks, and it seems like he barely trained even before that. Romario and Ronaldo would probably be the front two in my all time favourite XI and they played upfront together for Brazil. What a great time to watch that team.
Also worth noting that nobody has a higher opinion of Romário’s talent than Romario himself, pretty sure I’ve heard him give his all time top three and it was Pele first then him and Maradona joint second 😂
For most brazilians over 40, and brazilians coachs and players that played with both, they all rate romario higher then Ronaldo. But he decided to leave europe early and missed 1998 and 2002 campaigns because of partying and futvoley, so europeans held Ronaldo higher. But in all truth: Old romario ate 32 years old scored 18 goals while ronaldo pre - kenee injuries scored only 14 when both played together in Brazil sqaud in 1997. Can you imagine what a prime romario would have done ??
Inside the box there was nobody like him, If he has the ball inside the box it’s already done
I think the popularity of Ronaldo in the eyes of those of us who saw him during his playing years is also a nostalgic feeling about how football has in many way becomes less attractive today. Analysts, players becoming machines, numbers flying around in every direction. Ronaldos generation was the last one imo that played football with flair and fun (Ronaldinho being the last player who truly exemplified that mentality). Sure their stats wont match up with the robots playing football today but those who know and appreciate football know well and truly what amazing players these guys were.
Robo, so existe um. Procure alguem que tenha estatistica e seja igual ao cr7. Falhe.
Quite
@@user-ih6me3td8j messi tem melhores estatísticas com 140 jogos a menos
My man... Spot-on.
R9 was like a glitch from the universe that had to be corrected by injuries He was unreal I was stunned by that guy when I saw him playing during Barca and inters years, I wondered how even that possible to happen in real life , even in PlayStation wouldn’t possible
Props for that thumbnail, absolutely magic
It's actually difficult to rank Ronaldo(R9) since his knee blew out, he won the Ballon D'or at a young age and still have the record till this day. He had speed, technic, intelligence and power in his game and scoring goals for fun. Injuries prevented him longevity just like Kaka during his peak and he lived the party lifestyle like Ronaldinho. Let's not forget, he won two World Cup titles in 1994 albeit was a bench warmer and 2002 when he sank Germany in Japan/Korea. For me, it was a honour to watch him when he was playing.
I think in terms of career progression you could compare him to Van Basten, both are probably top 5 strikers ever who had massive amounts of injuries but played for some of the best club teams ever and even managed to win some major international tournaments in their prime
Excellent comparison. I would say that R9 was more explosive that Van Basten, but that's not a knock against Marco. R9 was just THAT good.
@@TMZahida226 But to balance it out, Van Basten was the deadlier striker
He is my favorite player for sure, even my mother was glued to the screen when the world cup was on. He was incredible
What an incredibly comprehensive and well produced video. O Fenômeno is one of my favorite all time players. You pay great homage to him. Bravo 👏🏾
I am lucky enough to have seen him play when I was already 'aware' of the world and of the world of football... it's by far the best player I have ever seen. Better than ronaldinho, zidane, messi, cristiano ronaldo,... Even throughout the era that football changed so much to what it is today, he was an insane phenomenon. Sometimes you see these charts, or memes of 'the ultimate footballer' where he has the head of this player, the physique of this player, the left foot of this one and the right of that one... but Ronaldo was literally thàt player. Back in fifa98 and fifa99 he was the '99' rated player while the closest 2nd one was 88 or 87. He was THAT good. Unbelievable player.
ronaldo nazario = suarez's technique + mbappe speed + zlatan's power shots + lewandoski's poaching simple as that !!!!!
The complete striker
Add Van Dijk’s strength, Messi’s dribbling and Ronaldinho’s tricks and you’re getting close. One thing he didn’t do much was head the ball
@@CarlosRojas-hr6msmore like a far advanced vinicius dribbling, prime messi dribbling was a bit different, more to do with pace and close control. Ronaldo would beat you with ball on the run, close control when he wants . Messi's dribbling is just too unique to compare
Forgot Neymar’s flair & Messi’s close dribble R9 had all that
Truly a legend, and a player that exists outside of stats. Video has it right that you needed to have seen him live to truly appreciate him and his impact, in a world where people just look at numbers and trophies won to judge a players ability.
Football's Jonah Lomu. He should not have been so skillful given his physicality, but he had it all.
R9 is the greatest striker to play the game. Any other opinion is wrong. The lad was incredible. The CL game against Man U in old Trafford was one of the most complete performances of a footballer I’ve ever seen. 3 goals against united and a standing ovation from the entire stadium.
Makes it more goat because of the absence of social media . Almost frightening a ronaldo that was only at 90 percent in comparison to his inter prime , is still in a class of his own . lol injury ronaldo not to his full athleticism would be player of the century if placed in this era.
I'll never forget that game. I had that black Real jersey. with Raul on the back and a white one with Ronaldo.
@@Ayo.AjisafeI bought one for my son. I will never forget that game vs Utd
Yeah...we watched that game on a high school room with my friend.
Ronaldo dont have a UCL, cr7 have 8 or more games like thay
I will always remember the Nike ad for the '98 World Cup with the Brazilian Seleçao. In my mind, that squad was one of the best teams ever (even though they ultimately lost to France), and Ronaldo was a huge part of why that impression was formed. There was no question for 12-year old me that he was the best player at the time, even though Del Piero was my personal favorite.
I was 13 years old at that time. That Brazilian squad was so good that they left out Romario and the mercurian Djalminha. It was one of the best teams ever.
The 1997 squad was one of the greatest ever. The 1998 one missed several key pieces.
Football is a sport with so many teams, so many players. It’s hard to compare. All I can share is my personal experience. I lived in Milano Italy in the 90’s. I was a boy and my dad took me to the stadium for the first time. To see inter. I didn’t understand football at all, but I saw him. The fenomeno. After seeing Ronaldo play, all I could think about was football. He’s the reason I became an inter fan. And most importantly he’s the reason I love football. For me, he’s the only GOAT.
Lot of respect for you to make video about the Legendary Phenomenon
His early-20s peak was so brief, but he was THE player with all the sliders maxed. Incredible acceleration and top speed, the size and strength to dominate old-style CBs, elite close control and dribbling, audacity and creative flair, anticipation and vision, deadly finisher from anywhere with either foot, as well as an aerial threat. He made a trademark out of dribbling around goalkeepers and finishing, in an era where that was considered suicide because the keeper would flatten and injure you. His technique and body control was that untouchable.
Ronaldo was like Ronaldinho. Those characters that aren’t seen as the best of all time, but without them, football would not have the magic it has right now. One can even say that, without them, there would not be a Messi and Ronaldo.
Nah Ronaldo was like Ronaldo
@@NaplesFC Nah... Fake Ronaldo is more like McDonaldo
Is this a joke?
Because for them, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, the best and/or being seen as the best just isn't them, which would also explain why they're able to do what they did on the field, for the world to see. They're the Sun and the Moon of Football, without them, one won't see any path to greatness, to the passion, to the purpose of Football ⚽🇧🇷💫🌙☀️
Ronaldo fenómeno is seen as one of the best of all time
He was so far ahead of his era and time that he blew out his Patella tendon and took 2 years off and won the World Cup and was the leading scorer. Truly he is a Phenomenon!
Nicely put, and yes, I was privileged to have witnessed him play for Brazil and Intermilan and Real Madrid...he was unimaginable, he was magic...he was football!!!
When talking about the greatest footballers of all time, r9 is often left out because to people that never got the chance to see him play he is almost like a myth. You hear people and all time greats talk about this young talent that is almost indescribable. Stature strength and speed of Cr7, skills of Ronaldinho, touch and ball control of Lionel Messi, so talented with the ball at his feet that it almost seemed like it was connected to his feet with by a string. despite all the evidence we have of him via KZhead he still for some reason doesn’t even seem real to people that never got a chance to watch him. That is how great of a talent he was, Messi and Ronaldo will forever be the greatest players of all time and both of them redefined greatness in sports, but r9 will forever be hit the greatest talent to ever even touch a football and the biggest robbery of football fans not being able to see the rest of his career play out
People who knows about football put him up there with the best, if not the GOAT
Ronaldo was a nightmare. Too strong, too fast and too skilled. He’s the greatest footballer since Pele. Only Pele was better than Ronaldo.
Thank you brother. You said it all.
Every Sunday afternoon was spent watching Football Italia and praying for an Inter match just to watch Ronaldo
He was one of the best ever. Why? 1. Amazing speed and ball skills 2. composure in front of the goalkeeper 3. ability to score goals from right and also from left foot 4. amazing positional awareness and great timing to be at the right place at the right time 5. incredible passing abilities I think he shared the best qualities of both Romario, who was an amazing goal scorer with a lot of flair, and Ronaldinho Gaucho, who could do magic with the ball yet was not as prolific a goal scorer.
It was 96 97 and it was so exciting to watch Ronaldo play, he got some kind of flair and talent that reminds me of what MJ did to music - something like that. Best striker I ever seen, imagine he was injury free…
Messi and Ronaldo set the bar so freaking high in both longevity AND trophies accumulated that all time great players almost look like just… very good players.
both alien ruined football magic
But as mindful beings , we should not get fooled by numbers. History and documents aren't going to confuse what we witnessed. R9 was a legend and is in his own league. He is a GOAT. We value play over stats.
@@pratikamatya5190 what do you mean not get fooled by numbers? what ronaldo and messi have set during their career is something NO ONE can replicate. They made getting 20 a season in their league look average despite before their time it would be ballon dor worthy candidates. Not only that, both of them in their primes are outrageously clear in every aspect of their game otherwise they wouldn't have achieved what they have so far. Also do not forget, THEY are the standard to be compared to, not the other way around.
@shisuixl429 I know what stats they have achieved better than you. Don't need your lectures. They are greats (esp messi) and have put up very high standard for numbers and game and trophies, no doubt. But they walked on the path set up by legends before them, so its easier for them. With better diet, transportation, tactical advancements, and health care technologies, they can have longer careers than players before them. So, better stats. Ask Messi who he was inspired by ? Has healthcare played a role in their careers ? I am a Messi fan too. He is the GOAT, but it pains me a little to say that his style of play is not entertaining like that of R9. Not that he isn't talented. It's just that R9 was just insanely talented. CR7 and Messi have my praise and respect. But R9 has , praise, and respect as a professional and a person. He was so talented yet humble. Always smiling. Never driven by stats, fame, or money. He simply loved the game. These are the milestones he has set up as a human being. Can't be measured in numbers. These qualities have touched so many people. You can even see interviews of other professional players. Btw, Lewandowski scored 5 goals in the shortest amount of time. It was insan at that time he was in Bayern i remember. But it doesn't feel equally heart touching. People forget numbers and only remember their experiences. Stats are simply stats. Messi is the GOAT 🐐. R9 was 1% greater GOAT. Just my and thousands of other boys' opinions.
@@pratikamatya5190 Please tell me what does GOAT mean.
He was a FORCE OF NATURE . I was too young to understand football but my eyes could comprehend that this guy is different to anyone. Then thanks to youtube we all could witness what REAL RONALDO was . If the higher power could've been on his side , he would've been the best to ever grace the pitch. And well the quote from Zlatan , when he tells how he couldn't imagine Ronaldo was in front of him and all he could do was stare . Making Zlatan feel like that , you must be something special
💯💯💯💯
i’ll never forget around the time of the 1998 World Cup before it started I was living in Mexico for a short period and my father came to visit from the United States, telling me all about this player from Brazil Ronaldo who was amazing, and can do anything with the ball this was my first introduction to the sport of football and I looked at him as some legendary mythic character to me one of the greatest of all times
I remember watching him play in the World Cup and Brazil won. He was truly defined the term "a beautiful game" 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
2:13 I had a season ticket at PSV Eindhoven when Ronaldo came... I can assure you, what he did, Romario couldn't do... and Romario also played 5 years for PSV. Ronaldo waved at me once when he was warming up.
R9 played during an era where defenders were still able to kick lumps out of players without being sufficiently sanctioned. Also, pitches were still nothing like the standards of today (see highlights of his performance for Inter v CSKA in the UEFA Cup semi finals for reference). His knee injuries were horrific and he wasn’t as dangerous as he was before them, but the fact he won (and top scored in) a World Cup afterwards shouldn’t be understated. He also had a huge liking for junk food and partied hugely (how much this contributed to his overall fitness we’ll never know, but it can’t have helped). Zidane, Rivaldo, Figo and Michael Owen all won world player of the year/Ballon d’Or in the years Ronaldo was heavily injured and as good as they were, you wouldn’t pick any of them ahead of peak R9 if you had to choose between them. It’s amazing how underrated he is.
Hes allways mentioned and allways will be
0:07 THANK YOU CAPTIONS
The player that got me into football. I genuinely thought the things I saw him do during a World Cup ad were edited/doctored. Then I caught his game live, and realised I'm not watching just another person play, I was watching a phenomenon. More precisely, El Fenomeno.
He was the best of his time. Comparing players from different eras is sort of pointless in my opinion. The game was different, rules were different, training methods especially in regards to health were different, medical knowledge was different…
You are talking about a guy banging in nearly a goal a game in mid to late 90s Serie A, which is probably one of the strongest periods for any league for quality of competition and players, all the best played in that league at that time and it was notoriously difficult to score in that league. He was sensational, without the knee injuries it would be no question to compare him to Messi/Ronaldo.
R9 has the most graceful dribbling style..its always mesmerizing to watch him play with balls😊
I remember watching him in the 1998 world cup. Ghosting past Colin Hendry like he was a schoolboy. Playing perfectly in every match bar the final. Rivaldo never, ever passing it to him 😂. And him being top of all the Opta index stats, passing completion, shooting, assists etc. The lad was as good as I've ever seen that tournament, apart from the final. Which was straight afyer suffering a fit/convulsion. His silver and blue Nike boots were the finishing touch!
His knee exploded.
Thanks for doing this. Tribute to all of us fans of the original ronaldo
My dad explained it the best. He was Cristiano with the strength on the ball and power, messi with the close dribbling and Eusebio with the flair (I didn’t say Ronaldinho because in an interview together in 04, dinho said he was miles off from nazario skill wise.
he reminds me of Jonah Lomu in rugby - a genetic freak who just seemed to redefine the game at a young age. both looked like they'd been beamed in from a different dimension, and there were some physical similarities.
Ronaldo Nazario was amazing and was such a joy to watch.
What impresses me the most in him is his ability to change after all the injuries. He was almost retired in 2000 and was still able to win a WC with Brasil being the best player there. How he could do that much even after all the injuries. I wonder if anyone can tell me the name of a player who was able to do what R9 did after such injuries. I'm sure neither CR7 or Messi would be that great if they came across the same type of injuries R9 had. Injuries always destroy good players.
R9 scoring the hat trick at old Trafford and the home fans applauding him showed what impact he had on the game and how much respect the world has for him