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The original Ronaldo. The Brazilian Ronaldo. The Ronaldo before the injuries. That was the Barcelona Ronaldo. The story of Ronaldo at the Camp Nou is a story filled with magnificent goals, partying, and fallings-out, but it would ultimately lead to a world record transfer fee.
This is the story of Ronaldo’s time at Barcelona. Told by Seb Stafford-Bloor, illustrated by Craig Silcock.
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#Ronaldo #Barcelona
Lets not forget, he still had an incredible carreer even after what happened to his knee.... Twice. His touch and technique were that good.
For real, just look at his goals for Corinthians before retiring, so glad he played for my team
He won a Ballon d'Or after two career ending injuries. That shoud said eveything you need to know about him.
That was a gift to football lovers.. Who comes back from a 2 year injury absence and continue playing at the top???
You're so right
He won world cup and top scorer after career ending injury
Pre-injury R9 was just destruction personified. Dribbling, header, powerful kicks. He had it all. Also his goal per appearance rate was something to behold too.
perfect hair
My middle name is names after him
R9 and Bale must be the biggest whatifs in football history when it comes to Injuries. Bale could have been a top 10-20 player of all time and R9 could have been the best ever.
His goals per minute rate was even better
Not a R9 fan but I remembered playing old FIFA game with my friends: whenever I picked R9 they would scream cheater and sometime refuse to play 😁
He was goalless for 2 months and still reached 47 goals, LEGEND!!!
This exactly! This man was a beast even after the terrible injuries a 50% Ronaldo is still better than almost every striker.
Most player need a more game after injury but not for ronaldo nazario. He always score after long injury and don't need time
Lies again? Gap Between Teeth
@@NazriB?
Hahah IL FENOMENO 💯
Best player i have ever seen before his injuries. The speed, power and technique was unmatched.
Messi >
@@AK-fc5rc uh not really 😛
@@MariaSanchez-kv9fg Messi >
It is a huge "what if". In my opinion pre-injury R9 was the best footballer of all time at this age. Without that bad injuries, he could end up as the best player of all time. I have no doubt about that. He was the most gifted player i ever saw. Unreal speed, power, finishing woth both feet and headers, incredible dribbling ability (also while sprinting), free kicks, long shots, penalties. He did it all back then.
@Netaji-The British Slayer I wrote most gifted 😊 not talented
"Ronaldo, the real One." quote by Jose Mourinho
They’re not even comparable but go on
@@Sebas-gb6if indeed, they are not. R9 is in a class of his own.
Henry also said this. The real one.
@@vitormascarenhas4884 right, then jamie checked him despite him starting the whole thing😂
@@vitormascarenhas4884 Karl Henry was a good defender
Pre-injury R9 was a phenomenon. With the speed and explosiveness of a winger, the movement and finishing of an elite 9 and the technique and dribbling of a seasoned trequartista. Truly a phenomenon! If his knees weren't mauled, he'll be the greatest footballer of all time no debate.
he is
@@boxingenthusiast4016 not really, the majority opinion still has Messi, Maradona and Pele ahead of him
@@boxingenthusiast4016 Unfortunately he isn't. But we were robbed of that possibility by the injuries.
@@yanndylan2239 Only due to his knees, a healthy ronaldo... would be over all of them!
Pre-injury Ronaldo is the greatest forward that we ever saw playing football. After the injury he was "only" the best of his time
He retired at my team. He was very overweight, had a destroyed knee and he was still a beast, never saw someone like him
and with all of that he could sprint above 30 km/h in a game to score a goal.
Corinthians 🙌
The closing comment is perfection. The original Ronaldo. This has always been my opinion, that that year at Barcelona is the only full season we saw him full capacity. Never again. Same for Ronaldinho... only those 2 or 3 seasons at Barcelonabdid we see him at his full powers.
He was at his peak frm the beginning. He was the best player in the world by a mile at 19
He was still too young. Usually players reach their prime by 25, by then he had his knee exploded twice. If you really think about it we never got too see his prime.
@@RafitoOoO Not everyone peak at the same time. Look at lewa or rooney
What a beautiful tribute to Ronaldo. Congratulations!!
because he watched Spurs game, tifo decide to make this video 😁😁
Ronaldo is a snake and a traitor. He played for FC Barcelona and Real Madrid and AC Milan and Inter Milan. Don't support him!
Back in the 90's I was a seasonticket holder at PSV Eindhoven, he was so incredible good and together with Luc Nilis he was unstoppable. When he left PSV bought a guy named Ruud van Nistelrooy... I miss those days.
Luc Nilis was brilliant...And before R9 you guys had Romario.
PSV had had series of good strikers in the 90s till early 00's. Romario, Ronaldo, Ruud, and Kezman. I honestly thought Kezman would follow the footstep of his predecessors still he was great striker for PSV.
@@harukrentz435 Don't forget Jules Ellerman 😅👍 I was still a child but it felt like he always scored when he played.
The post-injury Ronaldo was more well-rounded, obviously he adjusted his game due to injuries (and some maturity) rather than being just an explosive player. I remember how he was really efficient in World Cup 2002 and destroyed United in 2003. Majority of goals were knowing where to be at the right place and time to tap in
He was not more well rounded he went down everyone knows this. He was already well rounded and the best striker ever to play before the injury. The Brazil team in 2002 was world class all around that’s why they won
More well rounded as in his BMI?
@@jonnybarron1518 could be my memory is fuzzy now as I was just a kid pre-98 injury. I recall his hold up and link up play was (forced to be) much better after the injury.
that's true; he went from " just give me the ball and I'll dribble everybody and shoot to score" to "just shoot at me, and the ball will bounce somewhere over my body and then it'll pass the goal line"
@@jonnybarron1518 but to be the star in a team full of stars is amazing in itself.
Ronaldo was something else... without the injuries he was the best player ever
R9 was so powerful that his knees couldn’t keep up. He was so built and rapid so when he made sharp turns that put overwhelming pressure on his knees. He was so rapid that he reached the peak human capabilities when making turns.
bro he's way too heavy for football
@@mustytasty4287 That was after his thyroid problems. Back then, the only treatment was considered doping, so he refused to take the treatments and gained weight. Still phenomenal with weight issues.
I remember him in Serie “A”. Give him a pass in the centre and the goal was inevitable. I am a Lazio supporter and I still remember how he almost single handedly beat us in the Eufa cup final. I was not angry or bitter towards him; he was too good to be angry at for his phenomenal skill. He will always be “Ronaldo”; I will always refer to the great Portuguese player as “Christian Ronaldo”.
Cristiano *
@@kreush7329 totally. I blame autocorrect.
R9: The original, the true one, the best one. Cristiano, as great as it was, never reached his levels.
If you have to disguise as a waiter to sign a player, you already know that he is a legend
vah vah vahhh
One of the best to play the game. He’s what you paid entry fee for.
It was the Inter fans who gave him the nickname, when he was in Italy, not the Brazilian fans. Must be "Fenomeno" in Italian.
I remember Vieri called him Ronnie.. after that the commentators kept calling him Ronnie too
@@djfunkychicken Ronnie was given him by friends and teammates. "Fenomeno" was given to him by the fans and the press. Same in basketball, a teammate wouldn't call Michael Jordan "Air Jordan", but just Mike :)
@@mbell7498 I remember his Barca days well. If only we had the internet then! Or even just HD viewing like today 😒
R9 made me fall in love with football. Ronaldinho made that love more intense. Both together made me an avid supporter of joga bonito. I will never forget them. Thank you for making my childhood so fun. 🥰😇
R9 at Barcelona was the peak of any footballer. Ever. Anytime. Anywhere.
Pele is better but I agree ronaldos 2nd
Ronaldinho at Barcelona brother
there is this lil guy, Messi i dont know if you ever heard about him, nice player
Not even the peak of any South American footballer in Catalonia
@MB 😂 dude probably hasn’t had a tv since then.
He was basically Cristiano and Messi, before Cristiano and Messi. Nearly 50 goals in a season was unheard of back then and to a degree is still unheard of today. No one has done it like him before, and after. Hope he's never forgotten
His playing style reminds me of Haaland to be honest, basically what players don't need to be a striker. But it's the fact that they both have it. Not only a beast in front of the goal, but also a winger and nr. 10.
@@kohikappu Haaland is just a good finisher. R9 was probably the most complete attacker ever at his peak
@@kohikappu Late reply here, but I don't see what you mean R9 had dribbling, vision, and an unbelievable ball control. Haaland doesn't have that. They are similar in finishing, but Ronaldo was so much more.
@@maxteraform Haaland has dribbling and playmaking skills, but I would agree that R9 got more. However, I was talking in terms of playing style. Haaland also runs everywhere, it was as if the shadow of R9 did come for him. As for the ball control, I agree.
@@kohikappu Haaland has very little dribbling skills, and he rarely does any playmaking
Zidane's silent pause nodding with a stare before replying "WHY" back to that reporter in response to why R9 was the best sums it all up As if to say you have no idea what i've seen him do and i don't even know where to begin.
Always seemed like so much more time in Barcelona, he was such a great player
Yeah, I thought he was there for at least three 😳
Sir Bobby Robson's reaction still give me goosebumps
His literally what Messi n Cristiano Ronaldo are but in one person !!
Yh🔥🥵
Ronaldo was rarely a player who made the team play, like an enganche. Messi is that, and also a goalscorer. But if you meant that Ronaldo had the gift of agility to win 1vs1 in a quick manner like Messi, then yes, I agree with you. In my opinion, Ronaldo is somewhat similar to what Kun Aguero and Romario are, or even, Hugo Sanches, but Hugo is not of your time so probably you’ve never seen him play. And as far as Cristiano Ronaldo, yes I 100% agree with you. They had strength, good positioning, clever skills for 1vs1, power shots, smart headers, although Ronaldo is known for earthly finishing in front of goal. I think Ronaldo’s greatness is amongst Pelé, Maradona, and Best, as far as skill, strength , finishing, cleverness, improviser. Although, for me, Maradona in his prime, was out of this world.
@@Jyacema94 Bruh
Absolutely not.
*pff* That is not true, Ronaldo didn't have Messi's vision and passing ability. Also Messi is better at dribbling and goalscoring.
Seeing Ronaldo's numbers is insane. In his first and only season for Cruzeiro he scored 34 goals in 34 games, then he moved to PSV, and in two seasons there he scored 42 goals in 46 games, he then subsequently moved to Barca in 96 and scored 34 goals in 37 games which is incredible. The range and adaptibility of this man are insane. He scored wherever he went. He is really fearless, even in his late career when he basically out of shape, he managed to score 29 goals for Corinthians in 52 games. What a legend.
I truly believe that if Ronaldo had never gotten injured he would be regarded as the greatest player to ever grace a football pitch
Is he not? I mean, people are still talking about Beckenbauer and Gerd. Ronaldo is definitely up there
@@DizzyBusy ya he’s definitely up there even with the injuries which is crazy in of itself. what I meant was, he’d be the undisputed number 1
@@DizzyBusy He is one of the greatest. But he would've been the greatest if it wasn't due to injuries.
Loving the use of stylised photos in the new videos. Still keeps with that classic Tifo style, but looks a lot more professional.
My favourite ever player. Imagine his stats if it wasn’t for the injuries and health issues
Built like a cruiserweight, but with the skill of a god. World Cup at 19 Balon d'or at 20, 169 goals by 21, 2 WCs, 15WC goals, 67Brazil goals in 98 caps, a goal for Milan vs Inter and for Inter vs Milan, for Barca vs Madrid and for a Madrid vs Barca. Cruzeiro, PSV, Barca, Inter, Madrid, Milan, Corinthians...the path taken by the by this template for every modern forward. Your favourite striker's favourite striker, the only player Ibrahimovic loves more than himself...all this vs Stam, Maldini, Nesta, Balon d'or winner Cannavaro, Thuram, Desailly...not David Luiz, Pique, Boateng and Stones... O Phenomeno. THE BEST EVER!
@@MrRubio14 agreed its sad ppl think messi or cr are better
@@MrRubio14 what a comment 😅
@@daveperella1263 messi is toe to toe with r9, cr not really on their level but considering messi is a better playmaker than ronaldo and just as good a dribbler putting the flair aside(messi could dribble 4- 5 players multiple times in his prime and score the goal), goalscoring wise its neck and neck, messi holds the record for 91 goals but u can't deny r9s natural talent for goals, maybe ronaldo could have reached that in his prime but we'll never know, messi is also better at set pieces, so don't disrespect messi's football skill, hes basically diego refined
@@stevetheiii477 climb out of Messi’s arse you big fanboy loool
It's this vs Messi in 2012 for the greatest individual season in the modern era
@Netaji-The British Slayer no
football AND school cross country fandom? mr mitchell is prolific
Bro you've got to start doing football videos too! Your history videos are pretty good though
@@cabhan Jordies hahahaha
Hmmmm
Christian Vieri had an awesome season at Atletico that people often forget about. I think he scored 20 goals in 20 matches.
@yannick245 Good thing Vieri chose to be a professional footballer instead of a cricketer :P
24 in 24, 1997/98
He is the blueprint for every modern striker. He changed football for good
The best. Legendary career and we can still sit back and ask "what if?" Says it all really
Rest of the world Vs Europe exhibition match right before the World Cup 1998 group placement was an enjoyable one. Ronaldo from the ROTW team Vs Zidane from Europe team. That was where the whole world start witnessing true greatness
I remember when I just started watching football in late 90's, Ronaldo was the man. Kids my age would shave their heads, just to be like Ronaldo. Brilliant video, as always ⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽
Mate your channel is so underrated. Keep up the good work! 🔥
@@moumenrezaei1330 Thank you, my friend. Really appreciate your love and support. Really means alot to me :))
I swear, this guy's voice makes everything the more epic. Almost cried then.
Best player I have ever seen. Did not have the longevity of those kinds of performances but he had the best one off games. He was so special. I'm actually so much more impressed with how he adapted after his injuries. A special man
A legacy that numbers and stats can't explain
The thing is he's a rare talent where the stats heavy comparisons of modern days still justify how good he was. The KZhead clips justify the praise he gets and those who watched him will tell you just how good he was. By any measure he was a phenomenon and the testimonies of the golden era of football prove that
Judging players solely based on stats is just a lazy and ignorant way to view football. Players can influence games in ways that stats simply cannot show.
well said
@@kostasskf3306 claude makelele the man was soo good he had a positional role named after him "the makelele role" a role that if you watch stats you would never understand why he was soo important or so good and tis why Real solely missed his absence when he left
tbf you can with stats, those goal numbers are insane
This video was very well done. The editing and score are top notch.
This is the player and the season that made me fall in love with the game
Despite being portuguese, my favorite Ronaldo! I loved to play football but watching him play, literally made me fall in love with the sport!
The ending almost had me weeping. Great video!
As kid in the 90's there were great strikers, Shearer,Weah,Klinsman etc, but R9 was like a superhero.
The content is great, but the quality of this video, just the overall look & feel and music is just amazing. Excellent work guys.
If we‘re talking about great Strikers i would love to see an Video about Batistuta the man had an devastating Shot and was probably one of the Best Strikers itw at That Time
This was lovely. I still remember my amazement as a 12 year old when Ronaldo scored that goal. Thank you, Ronaldo
In 1998, at 21 years of age, it was his world cup to loose. Such enormous pressure, such a heavy burden at just 21, he broke in the final game. When Ronaldo played, you just expected a victory even in the world cups. Don't think any other player in the history has had to go through that.
Still the best pure striker I have ever seen. Given is injury issues it's crazy how good he still was despite that. On his day he was untouchable and a master of goal scoring. If injuries were never an issue he'd be the clear world #1 in my opinion. Even with his injuries he's damn close to it. What a player.
I remember reading Sinisa Mihajlovices quote: "Ronaldo got the ball and went straight for our goal. And me and Nesta were alone in defense". It says it all. 2 v 1, with Nesta by your side and you KNOW there is little you can do.
If 1996-97 Barcelona was in UCL, they'd have a fair shot into the semi finals if not the finals. I reckon that no other Spanish team that year was remotely close to Serie A and a dark horse Dortmund with Germany's '96 Euro winners
Beautifully produced video, awesome stuff
Bro the way you said "fenômeno" is hilarous!!! Fenoameono
Love the eye for detail in these videos, like having Atletico Madrid shown in blue-white jerseys they wore that day and not the more familiar red-white of today.
His actual prime started from Barça.. Strength, Speed and Skill…R9 had it all
Crazy thing is you could even say he was in his prime at psv also his goal scoring record pre injury was insane
@@willardmatsaudza3101 Too bad Eredivisie wasn't covered like Serie A and would have been able to watch his performances
R9 was in his prime since debuting for the professional league in Brazil with 16 years old. He was scoring 1 goal per match in Cruzeiro/Brazil. It was crazy that such a kid could accomplish that. He was called to the 94 WC with this age, but he didn't play, but was the first time he won a WC. After that he went to the final in 98 and won 02.
another great video - this is what Tifo do better than anyone else
Probably my favourite to watch, ever. Those first few years in Europe he was basically unplayable. Producing a one-man highlight reel every week.
this is a great way to learn about the history of the game! as an American trying to learn about the most beautiful game, thank you
Always amazed many people don’t know about him. In his prime he was the GOAT. Power, skill, speed, joy. Made opponents look second rate, slow and clueless.
It's mostly kids who don't know him. Under 25 kids.
The best ever I saw live. I was too young to watch Maradona during his peak. In particular order R9, Ronaldinho, Baggio, Messi and Van Basten
In my opinion R9 is the GOAT. Having knees problems since he was 17 and he still managed to have one of the greatest careers in football. Imagine him with healthy knees and the discipline of CR7.
R9 ! One of those Rare Players i loved to watch. Absolute destruction & with incredible speed ,he was a force to reckon. After him Zlatan came & to this day i think he had more than he has already achivement individually. Then came Messi , these three are an absolute joy for me.
Speed, technique, finishing, power were on another level. Great video but you should have mentioned the Valencia game.
My favorite player of all time. Yes, others have had better stats, but he was just so exceptionally good that he is something else. He is the icon for a Complete Forward role. He had everything. Strength, speed, insane dribbling skills, touch, control, passing, venomous shot, finesse shot, etc.
These videos are plain and simply awesome! So inspiring...
Love the background music
@@jonathangasana so true, what is this, some kind of low fi jazz or something... it's really chill
He’s a good forerunner to modern ideas about stress and overwork. He put so much force into his knee joint and eventually it broke. This is exactly why players and training staff put such a strong emphasis on taking it easier nowadays. Especially with the growing number of matches.
Unforgettable season. It was unreal to watch.
The Bo Jackson of footy, dude legit had no counter. All you could do is pray the service was subpar 😂 Wanna tremble in fear? Put THAT pre injury Ronaldo on Barcas all winning 2009-12 teams and watch the world burn!
I think D. Rose also gives these kind of vibes. Maybe more so.
@DMorlio18 LOL would’ve had a “5 goals a game or your money back guaranteed” on every ticket sold 😂 🤩
He was a star that shone so bright, his body couldn't handle it. At his peak, he might be the best of all time.
1996-97 season this monster scored 34 league goals for Barcelona in 37 appearances.. And in all competition he scored 47 goals out 49 appearances..
He was like this since his debut with 16 years old. He was indeed a phenomenon after all.
I loved the duo of Romario and Stoichkov. Then R9 came and he was just jawdropping.
He was simply unstoppable before his injury..the most complete striker of all time..I was his biggest fan when i saw him play for Barcelona just wow jaw dropping stuffs..so sad how injury almost runied his career..he was never the same R9 after his big injury at inter
Top 5 greatest of all time undoubtedly, top 3 personally and goat whole heartedly. As a Brazilian and Corinthians fan, I'm glad such specimen ever existed
The last words “It captured the original Ronaldo, The best Version” ❤😊 satisfying ending
With all respect to Ronaldo (R9) . His famous solo goal against Compostela was scored almost every week by Leo Messi.. These kind of solo goals would be a highlight or the best goal in a players career and Messi made solo goals a normal thing in his career
Messi played 99% of his career with a team with 75% possession against opposition with 10 % of Barca wage and transfer budget.
I preferred his goal against Valencia, the way he jumped between the two defenders and rolled the ball past the keeper, simply mesmerising....
In Vietnam, Ronaldo was dubbed "Alien" or "Extraterrestrial". That shows you how incredible he was before Messi & CR9 era.
My favorite season ever from a footballer. His highlights from Barca are poetic and athletic to a level I’ve never seen elsewhere
I was always desperate for footage with this guy as Brazillian football was not easy to find in UK during mid to late 90s. Olympics and friendlies were the best I could get, Umbro Cup in UK too. This season at Barcelona I can remember racing to my aunties house (who had sky sports) and watching the odd La Liga matches. I still remember following the transfer new to Inter on teletext. The GOAT no question, R9 peak could tear up leagues now, forget your Haalands and Mbappes.
That’s funny because in Brazil we struggled to watch his club matches in Europe… we were left to contend with the odd goal here and there during the evening news
The most loved player of all time El phenomeno 🇧🇷💯Legend
I read a very similar article as this in FourFourTwo, though this video was still very good.
Went to Barcelona and absolutely destroyed every defence in the league. Then he went to Inter to THE Serie A with some of the strongest defenses in football history and it didn't matter ! Ronaldo before his knee injury was a glitch. He was so good it didn't seem like he was real.
Speed, strength, skills & accuracy....what a striker
At Barca, we saw the best Ronaldo, he was unstoppable. Afterwards he was a really good player but never quite reached the same performance level as an individual.
Eurogoals on Eurosport this season made me a Barcelona fan and a Ronaldo fan. I was heartbroken when he left after just one year.
Youngsters now have now idea how good R9 was! Yeah, Messi is one of the greatest ever, and Mbappe could be too, but R9 was something else. As a Man Utd fan, watching Ronaldo's hat-trick against us in the Champions League was something else. Our fans applauded him!!! That's how good it/he was!
Fenómeno!!!!
i remember when i was a kid, everyone would stop to see him playing for the seleção it really was an country-wide event
He is THE BEST before injury indeed👍
Inter Milan had some curse in the late 90s-early 00s, and it was even more unbelievable if you consider that they had probably the best squad in the world. I remember Inter in the 99/00 season as the best squad I have seen on paper (Ronaldo, Baggio, Vieri, Zamorano, Blanc, Zanetti) coached by Marcello Lippi, who was one of the best in the world at the time (along with Ferguson, Del Bosque and Hitzfeld) and yet they finished 4th.
and lost to helsingsborg in the champions league play off the next season
Everyone watched weekly in disbelief. Ronaldo was a gift to football. As Zlatan says, football was one way, then Ronaldo showed what it could be, then football became his way
where that quote please?
Actually, Romário had already left Barcelona before Xmas `94. Stoitchkov followed suit by the end of the 1994/95 season when he was sold off to Parma (which seemed quite fitting at the time as Parma under Nevio Scala and with players like Zola and Asprilla was known for playing a similarly attractive, albeit defensively more solid brand of football as Barcelona).
Fantastic video 👏
I can’t believe I went all my life without this channel
He scored less goals but his first season at Inter was also ridiculous. He was becoming the complete forward and then injury hit him and he was never the same.
Great memores, I remember those years of el fenomeno.
You know you're watching greatness when defenders still panic when a player gets the ball in their own penalty box. Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Cr7, Messi, Henry, Zlatan, Mbappe is getting there. But fully fit Ronaldo was just brutal legit speed and power.
When the Phenomenon became a world wide Superstar! ❣️
The youngest ballon d'or in the history R9 🔥
Just shows how big and historic club Barcelona iss. So many legends have worked for the club.
referee legends and fifa employee legends too!
“Ronaldo was the real one, the special one. Not one from the bottle. My mother and I changed my surname to Ronaldo to capitalise on his popularity to propel my image. It even took a while for me to learn the neat tricks like step overs, often needlessly giving the ball away at Man Utd and breaking down attacks” Quote from Christiano “Ronaldo”
Never seen a player like Ronaldo that season. Power, pace, skill and finishing. He was a beast. Unstoppable at times. He had the pace and power of CR7 and the dribbling & technique of Messi. And he could finish like both of them. He could also do all the tricks that Ronaldinho could do. Flip flaps etc and at high speed. Made it look easy & always effective. What a shame about his injuries. We were all robbed(even if he was still World Class/one of the gr8s afterwards)....Before the injuries Ronaldo was out of this World. Messi and Maradona are the only other players Ive seen who could match him ability wise IMO. Sensational. What a season at Barca.