Ronaldo's exceptional talent was first recognized when he was fourteen by Brazilian World Cup Football World Cup (official name: FIFA World Cup) is the most important competition in international football (soccer). Organised by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's governing body, the World Cup finals tournament is the most widely-viewed and followed sporting event in the world, more so than even the Olympic Games.
..... Click the link for more information. winner Jairzinho Jairzinho, real name Jair Ventura Filho, (born December 25 1944) a member of the Brazilian national team that won the 1970 World Cup. He is the only player to have scored in every game of a World Cup finals, a feat he achieved in 1970. However, his seven goals at that finals were not enough to win him the Golden Boot, that award went to West Germany's Gerd Müller who scored a record ten goals.
..... Click the link for more information. , who was coaching the amateur side Sao Cristovao. Jairzinho quickly recommended Ronaldo to the Brazil youth team and also ensured that he signed for his own former club, Cruzeiro Esporte Clube Cruzeiro is a Brazilian football team from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, founded on January 2, 1921. It has the second largest number of fans among the state's 17 million (approx.) inhabitants [1] , and also counts with fans spread all-over the country.

Established for sportsmen of the Italian colony of Belo Horizonte with the name of Societá Sportiva Palestra Itália.
..... Click the link for more information. , when he was old enough for a professional contract. 

In 1993 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003).

Events

January
January 1 - Czechoslovakia divides. Establishment of independent Slovakia and Czech Republic.

..... Click the link for more information. , aged sixteen, Ronaldo had already scored 59 goals in 57 matches for Brazil's under-17 squad. By 1994 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family.

Events

January
January 1 - North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) goes into effect 
January 6 - Nancy Kerrigan is clubbed on the right leg by an assailant under orders from figure skating rival Tonya Harding.

..... Click the link for more information. he had joined the squad of the national team First International
Argentina 3 - 0 Brazil
(Buenos Aires, Argentina; August 20, 1914)
Largest win
Brazil 9 - 0 Colombia
(Lima, Peru; 23 March, 1957)
Worst defeat
Argentina 6 - 1 Brazil
(Buenos Aires, Argentina; 5 March, 1940)
World Cup
Appearances 17 (First in 1930)
..... Click the link for more information. , but didn't get to play a single minute on the pitch of the 1994 FIFA World Cup 1994 Football World Cup was held in the USA. It was won by Brazil, who beat Italy 3-2 on penalties, after the game and extra time ended 0-0.

In terms of attendance, the event was a rousing success. The average attendance of nearly 69,000 shattered a record that had stood since 1950. The total attendance for the final tournament of nearly 3.
..... Click the link for more information. in the USA Usa has more than one meaning: 
U.S.A. - The United States of America 
The United States Army 
Usa, Oita - A city in Japan 
The USA cable network 
USA Today national daily newspaper 
The University of Southern Alabama goes by the initials U.S.A. 
The patriotic cheer U-S-A! that was first heard at the 1980 Winter Olympics (see: Miracle on Ice) 

..... Click the link for more information. . 

In 1996 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty.

Events

Environmental change
The invasive species Asian long-horned beetle is found in New York 
January 7 - One of the worst blizzards in American history hits eastern states, killing more than 100.

..... Click the link for more information. –1997 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar.

Designations

International organizations, including the United Nations, designated 1997 as the International Year of the Reef.

Events

January
January 3 - NBC's Today Show

..... Click the link for more information. , Ronaldo played arguably his best season, scoring numerous spectacular goals for FC Barcelona FC Barcelona, also known as Barça, is a sports club in Barcelona, Catalunia, Spain with sections in many different sports. Founded in 1899 by a group of twelve, led by Joan Gamper, its motto is "El Barça és més que un club" (Catalan for Barça is more than a club). Its main stadium is the Nou Estadi del Futbol Club Barcelona, popularly known as the Camp Nou, in Barcelona.
..... Click the link for more information. . One of them, a solo goal against Compostela, is considered one of the most amazing goals in football. 

Voted the World's best player in 1996 and 1997, he had a disappointing performance during the 1998 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean.

Events

January
January 1998 - A massive ice storm, caused by El Niño, strikes New England, southern Ontario and Quebec, resulting in widespread power failures, severe damage to forests, and a number of deaths.

..... Click the link for more information. World Cup, scoring only four goals, and Brazil lost the final to the hosts France French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. France is a democracy organised as a unitary semi-presidential republic. It is a developed nation with the fifth-largest economy in the world in 2003. Its main values are expressed in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.
..... Click the link for more information. after he suffered a mysterious fit Seizures (or convulsions) are temporary alterations in brain function expressing themselves into a changed mental state, tonic or clonic movements and various other symptoms. They are due to temporary abnormal electrical activity of a group of brain cells.

The treatment of seizures is a subspecialty of neurology; the study of seizures is part of neuroscience.
..... Click the link for more information. the night before. The circumstances of the fit remain unclear and a source of speculation. 

He then moved to a club he considered more promising and more respected: Inter Milan. Fans all over the world now began to follow the club and Ronaldo's fame continued to grow. 

In April 1999, Ronaldo married Milene Domingues Milene Domingues is the ex-wife of football star Ronaldo (married in April 1999, divorced in September 2003) set the current female world record for keepie uppie in 1997. She was signed by Rayo Vallecano but plays football for Fiamma Monza.

External Links

Brazilian magazine Corpo A Corpo article about Milene Domingues
..... Click the link for more information. . The marriage lasted four years and ended in a divorce. 

A year later, he severely injured his right knee and was out of the game for several months. During his first comeback in 2000 2000 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. Popular culture also holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium. By strict interpretation of the Gregorian Calendar, however, this distinction falls to the year 2001.

The year 2000 is also marked as: 
The International Year for a Culture of Peace. 
The World Mathematical Year. 

..... Click the link for more information. , he managed to play a few minutes during a league game against Lazio S.S. Lazio (Italian: Società Sportiva Lazio SpA) is an Italian football club based in Rome. They are known as the biancocelesti. They play in light blue shirts, with white shorts and socks.

The club was founded on January 9th 1900 as Società Podistica Lazio. The name Lazio was taken from the Latin word "Latium", that means "wide", meeting the aim of the founders to symbolize something that includes Rome, but which is not limited to Rome (in fact, Lazio is the name of the region where Rome lies).
..... Click the link for more information. before injuring his knee for a second time. 

After two operations and twenty months of rehabilitation, Ronaldo managed a comeback during the 2002 FIFA World Cup 2002 Football World Cup was held in South Korea and Japan from May 31 to June 30. It was the 17th edition of the tournament. For the first time in history it was organised by two countries, which also meant that for the first time three teams received automatic berths in the tournament. It was also the first time it was not held in Europe or the Americas. The tournament was won by Brazil for a record fifth time.
..... Click the link for more information. . He claimed the Golden Boot World Cup Golden Boot is the award given to the top goalscorer in the FIFA World Cup.

Golden Boot winners from previous FIFA World Cup tournaments
Year Player Country Goals
1930 Guillermo Stábile Argentina 8
1934 Edmund Conen Germany 4
Oldrich Nejedly Czechoslovakia
..... Click the link for more information. by scoring 8 goals during the tournament (and tied with Pelé Edson Arantes do Nascimento, KBE (born October 23, 1940), nicknamed Pelé, is a former Brazilian football player, considered by some to be the finest player of all time. He was an exceptionally versatile footballer, two-footed, an extremely successful goal scorer, highly skilled at dribbling and passing, and had remarkably good defensive skills for a striker. Together with Diego maradona he was named best player of the 20th. century by a fan poll organized by Fifa.
..... Click the link for more information. for a Brazilian record 12 total World Cup goals), leading Brazil to win an unprecedented fifth World Championship. In 2002 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. It was designated the: 
International Year of Ecotourism and Mountains 
National Science Year in the United Kingdom 
Autism Awareness Year in the United Kingdom 


Events

January
January 1 - 
Introduction of euro banknotes and coins in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, and Portugal.

..... Click the link for more information. , he was awarded the title of the World's best soccer player for the third time, and transferred from Inter Milan to Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club, ranked as the world's most successful club for the 20th century by the governing body of international football (FIFA), just ahead of Manchester United. Formed on March 6, 1902, it competes in the Spanish first division or Primera División, from which it has never been relegated since the formation of Spain's national league in 1928. The club was originally named Madrid Club de Fútbol, but was allowed to use the title Real after King Alfonso XIII of Spain gave the club an official blessing in June 1920.
..... Click the link for more information. after frequent disputes with Inter Milan coach Hector Cuper. 

On June 2 2 June is the 153rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (154th in leap years), with 212 days remaining.

Events455 - The Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks. 
576 - Benedict I becomes Pope. 
657 - St. Eugene I becomes Pope. 
1615 - First Récollet missionaries arrive at Quebec City, from Rouen, France.

..... Click the link for more information. 2004, Ronaldo scored an unusual hat-trick for Brazil against archrivals Argentina in a CONMEBOL qualifier for the 2006 World Cup. He scored all of Brazil's goals in a 3-1 win from penalties. 

As of 2004, Ronaldo is still playing football, and is still considered one of the world's best strikers. 

In February 2005 he married Brazilian model and MTV vj Daniela Cicarelli. One month later she got pregnant but, unfortunately, she lost her baby. In the following month they separated.