The best quotes about Ronaldo Nazario
You don't earn the nickname O Fenômeno, or the Phenomenon, by chance. Ronaldo Nazario captured the attention of the entire planet during a rapid rise to superstardom.
Ronaldo bulldozed defences at Cruzeiro, PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Real Madrid at his peak, a whirlwind of lightning pace, brute strength, and sublime skill. His transfers twice broke the world transfer record before his 21st birthday, while in 1997 he became the youngest-ever Ballon d'Or winner, a record he still holds.
Sometimes, legends are also forged from adversity.
After an unstoppable ascent, career-threatening knee injuries endangered his legacy. Ronaldo, however, bounced back. The 2002 World Cup saw him score eight goals to fire Brazil to a fifth world title, earning him the Golden Boot and a second Ballon d'Or.
For some, there has never been a number nine comparable. The tributes to him are a testimony to that.
Ronaldo: The best quotes and tributes to R9
“Ronaldo did things nobody had seen before. He, together with Romario and George Weah, reinvented the centre-forward position. They were the first to drop from the penalty box to pick up the ball in midfield, switch to the flanks, attract and disorientate the central defenders with their runs, their accelerations.”
“He went to Holland, Spain and Italy and enhanced the reputation of Brazilian football in all three countries. He came back home and breathed new life into the Brazilian championship and Corinthians. Brazilian people should be grateful for what he’s done for our football.”
“For me, Ronaldo is the greatest. He was as [good as] Pele. There was nobody like him. No one has influenced both football and the players who emerged as Ronaldo.”
“When I was younger, the way the Brazilian Ronaldo played had an influence on me. For me he’s the best striker and the best player of all-time. I watch videos of him, and try to do what he does, but it’s not easy. It’s impossible to pull off the same moves as he did.”
“The best player I have ever played with? That’s Ronaldo, il Fenomeno. [ . . . ] I have seen il Fenomeno do things that nobody else has ever done.”
“I’ve never seen a player able to show such precise control at such a high speed. Watching him was like watching a character in a video game.”
"Ronaldo was lean, mean, as quick as an Olympic sprinter and some of the goals he scored had me shaking my head in disbelief.”
"He’s the most spectacular player I’ve ever seen. He did things I’d never seen before. We’re now used to seeing Messi dribble past six players, but not then. He was strong, a beast. A kid as well."
“Ronaldo is the hardest attacker I’ve ever had to face. He was impossible to stop.”
“He was the best of all time, The Phenomenon. Before defenders and goalkeepers could understand what he will do, he was already far away.”
