The phenomenon Ronaldo was one of the most prominent players of his generation, and history will remember him as one of the greatest football players of all time, as he starred in Brazil when he was only 17 years old with Cruzeiro, before continuing his career in Europe and heading towards global glory.
In a report published by the site “90 minutes” ( 90min ) in its British version, writer Jimmy Spencer says that the Brazilian Ronaldo achieved, during his career with the Spanish clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid, the Italian Inter Milan, and the Seleção national team, a number of impressive records that made him the greatest legends of the game .
These
1- He scored 88 goals after dribbling the goalkeepers
Ronaldo succeeded in setting a unique record, scoring 88 goals after skillful dribbles of goalkeepers, and became an example in this unique skill, with which he defeated the goalkeepers of the rival teams, and made him the best dribbler of goalkeepers ever.
2- Youngest Ballon d’Or winner
Ronaldo was 21 years old when he won the Ballon d’Or for the first time in 1997, after his impressive performances with Barcelona in 1996-1997, where he scored 47 goals in 49 games, and crowned the King of Spain and the European Cup Winners’ Cup. In the same year, he won the 1997 Copa America with Brazil, and his move to Inter Milan broke the record for the most expensive football player deal at the time.
3- The first Ballon d’Or winner from South America
In addition to being the youngest Ballon d’Or winner in history, Ronaldo was also the first winner of the award from a South American player. The Golden Ball was awarded only to European players until 1995, and the Brazilian managed to win it deservedly two years later, opening the way for many players from South America to crown the award.
4- The first to win the award for the best player in the world 3 times
Throughout the history of the FIFA World Player of the Year award, during 19 years, Ronaldo was the first player to win it 3 times, winning it on two consecutive occasions in 1996 and 1997, and returned to achieve it a third time in 2002 after winning the World Cup with Brazil. Later, the French Zinedine Zidane repeated this achievement when he won the award for the third time in 2003, while the Brazilian Ronaldinho won it twice.
5- He broke the world transfer record for two consecutive years
Only 4 players in the history of football broke the world record in the value of transfers on two occasions. They are the Englishmen Alf Komon and David Jack, the Argentine Diego Maradona and Ronaldo; But the Brazilian was the first to break the record for the most expensive transfer in the world for two consecutive years, the first time in 1996 when he joined Barcelona from PSV Eindhoven for $ 19.5 million, and the second when he moved to Inter Milan for $ 27 million in 1997.
6- Brazil’s all-time top scorer in the World Cup
Ronaldo scored two goals when Brazil won the 2002 World Cup final against Germany, equaling Pele’s record of 12 goals in the World Cup. In the 2006 World Cup, Ronaldo broke Pele’s record, who has been steadfast for 36 years. Ronaldo is also one of only 3 players to score 3 or more goals in 3 different editions of the World Cup, along with Germans Jürgen Klinsmann and Miroslav Klose.
7- The best goalscorer in the history of the World Cup (later destroyed)
When he scored against Ghana during the 2006 World Cup, Ronaldo broke the record for top scorer in the World Cup finals, where he scored 15 goals, and surpassed German Gerd Muller’s record of 14 goals.
Ronaldo scored 4 goals in the 1998 World Cup, 8 goals in 2002, and 3 goals in 2006. In the 2014 World Cup, German Klose was able to break Ronaldo’s number and reach 16 goals as the best scorer in the finals so far.
8- The player who scored the most in the most matches in the World Cup
What is so impressive about Ronaldo’s World Cup goal tally is that it is sporadic. He did not score many goals in a few matches; He scored at least once in 11 separate World Cup matches, a tournament record.
9- Barcelona’s top scorer in a single season in the Spanish league (Messi smashed him)
Ronaldo scored 34 goals in the Spanish League during his only season with Barcelona, breaking the previous record in the club’s history; That is 30 goals, achieved by Mariano Martin in the 1942-1943 season, before Romario equalized him in the 1993-1994 season.
In the 2009-2010 season, Lionel Messi equaled Ronaldo’s number, then broke it two years later when he scored 50 goals in the league competition.
10- The first player from Barcelona to win the European Golden Boot
Before Ronaldo, no player from Barcelona had won the Golden Boot for the best scorer in Europe, and in the 1996-1997 season he managed to win the award, before Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez later achieved it.
11- The first Brazilian player to win the European Golden Boot
Ronaldo was not only the first Barcelona player to receive the Golden Boot award; He was also the first Brazilian player to win this award. And the only Brazilian who has repeated this feat after Ronaldo is Mario Jardel, twice winner of the award in 1999 and 2002.
12- The first to carry the colors of the four clubs in the Clasico of Spain and the Derby of Milan
Lots of players played for Real Madrid and Barcelona, or Milan and Inter; But Ronaldo was the first to play the Spanish football Clasico with the two historical opponents, and the Milan derby with the two arch-rivals.
13- The first to score for both teams in the Clasico and the Milan derby
In addition to playing for both teams in El Clasico Spain and the Milan derby, Ronaldo was the first player to score in the four clubs during their head-to-head matches. He started when he scored for Barcelona against Real Madrid in May 1997, and completed it when he scored for Milan against Inter 10 years later.