Ronaldo announces his retirement from soccer

[Daft]

During the 1990s and the early years of the previous decade, Brazil’s Ronaldo was both the best soccer player in the world and something else entirely. While most hardcore soccer heads will rank him a level or so below the Ecstatic Genius level occupied by peak-era Pele, anyone who watched Ronaldo do his graceful bulldozer act in, say, the 2002 World Cup won’t soon forget the sight.

On Monday, at the age of 34, Ronaldo announced that he was calling it quits on his 18-year pro career. “I wanted to carry on but I can’t,” Ronaldo said in announcing the decision. “I plan a move in a game but I cannot execute it as I wish. The time is up.”

Ronaldo spent his last few years in that athletic twilight, and his struggles with injury and conditioning concerns tarnished his legacy somewhat, to the point at which the waggish soccer blog Who Ate All The Pies described the retirement as El Fenomeno “finally admitting defeat in his long-standing battle against dodgy knee ligaments, niggling injuries and cakes.” In the Daily Telegraph, Rory Smith bemoans the decline in reputation suffered by “the original Ronaldo.” The Journal’s Antonio Regalado profiled Ronaldo’s soccer senescence in Brazil’s less-than-glamorous national league in 2009.

But it’s not tough to recall just how great Ronaldo was at his greatest. “Not always as elegant as Zidane or as inventive as Lionel Messi, Ronaldo’s particular speciality was a sort of head-down charge at defenders with the ball at his feet,” the Guardian’s Paul Wilson writes. “Using strength as well as incredibly quick feet and close control, he was frequently able to take on three or four defenders and emerge on the other side with the ball, there to either score or set up a team-mate.” A glimpse at Ronaldo’s highlights, such as the 11-minute video below, to be reminded of just how powerfully brilliant Ronaldo was in his prime, and even at times after that.


THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

His public speech has just ended...very emotive. One of the greatest soccer players of all time. Although in the last years he has not been the same (too many surgeries, health problems, etc) in his great times he was absolutely brilliant.

He will be missed.


Ronaldo Highlights VOL1

Ronaldo Highlights Vol 2

[Alex]

He was, in his prime, the best player in the world. Sad to see his glittering career end, but I'm sure a career in management awaits.

[RD]

I will always remember him for his ridiculous 2002 World Cup hairstyle:

[Daft]

I will always remember him for his ridiculous 2002 World Cup hairstyle:

After Brazil won this World Cup, many children here started using this haircut too

[RD]

I will always remember him for his ridiculous 2002 World Cup hairstyle:

After Brazil won this World Cup, many children here started using this haircut too

Were you one of those people?

[Daft]

I will always remember him for his ridiculous 2002 World Cup hairstyle:

After Brazil won this World Cup, many children here started using this haircut too

Were you one of those people?

Of course...






































...NOT!