Ronaldo: How the Brazilian icon went from football star to a master businessman

Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, perhaps better known simply as Ronaldo, is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, His blend of speed, skill, and finishing ability – and all round natural football – has earned him legendary status in the game.

But he's kept up his winning ways outside of the game, too. Let's take a quick look back at Ronaldo's life and where we find him today.

Born in 1976 in Rio de Janeiro, Ronaldo spent his childhood in the neighborhood of Bento Ribeiro, on the outskirts of the city. He came from a humble family and started playing football at an early age, as told by Sky Sports.

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Ronaldo's first club, São Cristovão, was close to where he lived, in the north of Rio de Janeiro. Today, its stadium even bears the star's name: Estádio Ronaldo Luis Nazário de Lima.

In 1993, Jairzinho, a player who helped Brazil win the 1970 World Cup, helped Ronaldo transfer from his local team to Cruzeiro, a team from Minas Gerais. He debuted at just 16 years old.

In the Minas Gerais team, Ronaldo began to draw attention. He was the absolute highlight of the 1993 Brazilian championship and became the top scorer of the regional league. Recognizing his talent, European clubs began making their offers, and Ronaldo was sold to PSV for $6 million (£4.92m/€5.76m).

At the Dutch club, Ronaldo played from 1994 to 1996. These two brilliant seasons made him one of the most coveted players on the planet.

Ronaldo would also be called up for Brazil in what became their fourth World Cup win in 1994, though he would remain on the bench the entire time and never stepped onto the pitch during the tournament, as recounted by FourFourTwo.

After his success in the Netherlands, Ronaldo joined FC Barcelona in 1996. In addition to having his best season in terms of goals, he won the Spanish Super Cup, the Copa del Rey, and the European Cup. He even became FIFA's World Player of the Year that year.

Even though he was expected to continue at FC Barcelona, Inter Milan offered a lot of money for the Brazilian. $32 million dollars (£26.24m/ €30.72m) for the termination of his Barcelona contract was an offer that no one could refuse and in July 1997, Ronaldo would make his debut for the Italian team, as told by Goal

In the same year, he was named once again as FIFA's World Player of the Year His performance on the field was so impressive that he came to be known as Ronaldo The Phenomenon!

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Ronaldo was in great shape and his timing was extraordinary, but for some reason, Brazil could not beat France in the 1998 World Cup final. Later, it would become known that Ronaldo had suffered seizures during the tournament.

Former Brazilian striker Edmundo told the ESPN Intelligence podcast: "I saw Ronaldo having the seizure and I went screaming through the hallways to ask for help." It happened on the day before the World Cup final and left the entire team in shock. France beat Brazil the next day 3-0 and became the world champion for the first time.

Back in Italy, Ronaldo's numbers at Inter showed that he was in excellent form: 59 goals in 99 games from 1997 to 2002. But it was also at this club that the footballer suffered his worst injuries.

On April 12, 2000, Ronaldo shocked the world in one of the most painful scenes in football. His right knee caved out of place, and the injury would keep him off the field for over a year, as told by The Guardian.

After a long recovery, Ronaldo got back in shape and shone at the 2002 World Cup in Japan. Together with his Brazilian teammates, he lifted Brazil's fifth World Cup trophy.

In August 2002, Ronaldo said goodbye to Inter Milan and went to Real Madrid, Spain, where he stayed for 5 seasons. The team also had Luís Figo, Zinédine Zidane, Raúl and Roberto Carlos on the payroll.

With the best players in the world on the field, Real Madrid won the 2002 Intercontinental Cup, the Supercopa, and the Spanish Championship. Ronaldo stood out again. For the third time, he was named FIFA's Player of the Year.

Ronaldo signed up with AC Milan for two seasons, 2007 and 2008. His stint there was short due to new injuries, causing him to be on the bench for all but 20 matches.

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Before ending his career, Ronaldo returned to play for a Brazilian team, Corinthians, in 2009. Despite being out of shape, he surprised the fans and helped the club win the Copa do Brasil and the Campeonato Paulista. Despite the great work on the pitch, Ronaldo announced his retirement in 2011.

Though Ronaldo stopped playing football, he continued to make money. He is seemingly part of a select group of athletes who know how to invest their money in successful businesses.

As a businessman in the sports world, Ronaldo acquired 90% of Cruzeiro's shares, for a total of R$ 400 million ($79m/£64.78m/€75.84m), in December 2021.

He sold the club in April 2024, for a reported $117 million (£95.94m, €112.32m) as reported by ESPN.

In addition, he is the co-owner of the sports and entertainment marketing agency Octagon Brasil. It's a media and content startup that produces movies, series, sports broadcasts, and digital formats.

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In October 2022, the production company released a documentary about Ronaldo's career. The film focuses especially on the period between 1998 and 2002, with revelations about the 1998 World Cup final.

Image Credit: DAZN

But it doesn't stop there! He also created the start-up R9, which offers other players Wealth & Financial Management services.

Ronaldo married his first wife, Milene Domingues, in 1999. Though the couple divorced in 2003, they had one son, Ronald Nazário Lima, born in 2000.

In the photo, Ronaldo and Milene at their wedding in Rio de Janeiro in 1999.

Two years after separating from Milene, Ronaldo married the Brazilian presenter and model Daniela Cicarelli in February 2005. The relationship ended 3 months later, in May of the same year, as reported by the Daily Mail.

In 2005, Alexander Nazário de Lima was born as a result of an affair between Ronaldo and beautician Michele Umezu. His paternity was confirmed in a DNA test, carried out in 2009 when the boy was 5 years old, according to The Daily Mail.

In 2008, Ronaldo remarried; this time with Maria Beatriz Antony, who gave him two daughters: Maria Sofia and Maria Alice Nazário de Lima. However, in 2012, the couple announced their separation.

In 2015, Ronaldo began to share his life with model and businesswoman Celina Locks. She has a great relationship with her stepchildren: "They will always be my babies," she said in an interview with Quem magazine.

After a legendary trajectory in football, Ronaldo has proved himself extremely effective in the business world. A true phenomenon both on and off the pitch!

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