Ronaldo 50: Happy Birthday, O Fenômeno!

How can you put into words something that has nothing rational about it? A special love, a bond unlike any other, a player capable of making people dream like no one else: Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima was not like other strikers. Ronaldo was the beauty of life, the joy of football, a symbol that went far beyond the pitch: an era of hope, a wonder made real that made people believe anything was possible. Born on 18 September 1976 in Itaguaí, Rio de Janeiro, Ronaldo turns 50 today, a special milestone that deserves to be celebrated in fitting fashion for one of the greatest players in the history of football. 50 years old, five of them spent in the Nerazzurri shirt: an adventure filled with victories, triumphs, unforgettable moments, happiness and pain too, as is the case with all great love stories.

25 JULY 1997: RONALDO ARRIVES IN MILANO

Ronaldo’s story with Inter began on 25 July 1997, when O Fenômeno arrived in Milano and experienced his first day as a Nerazzurri player. From Rio de Janeiro to Rome, then from Rome to Milano: Ronaldo wore black jeans and a checked shirt. Rain in Rome, sunshine in Milano, where he arrived at exactly 8am. And so, as he walked down the aircraft steps at Linate, the Fenomeno’s life in the Nerazzurri colours began. People were waiting for him everywhere: at the airport, on the runway, wherever they could catch a glimpse of him. He had lunch with Inter president Massimo Moratti, accompanied by Sandro Mazzola and Luis Suárez. Fans gathered in the city centre, on Via Durini, waiting for him outside Inter’s headquarters. At 4pm, he appeared at the window and the crowd erupted. He held up a scarf and tossed his cap into the crowd, where it quickly disappeared into the hands of the thousand or so fans gathered beneath the balcony. There were the customary photographs and his first embrace with his new supporters. Another special embrace would follow when he was engulfed by children dressed in Nerazzurri colours at San Siro on the day of the friendly against Manchester United. And so began the Fenômeno era in the Nerazzurri shirt: a huge shockwave swept through the world of Inter.

AN EXTRAORDINARY YEAR

The 1997/98 season was a magical one for Ronaldo, as he captivated the Nerazzurri fans and football supporters everywhere. The Brazilian possessed supernatural talent, with every piece of skill more astonishing than the last. O Fenômeno seemed unstoppable: from his first goal away to Bologna all the way through to Inter’s UEFA Cup triumph, Ronaldo produced one exquisite gem after another. There were so many magical moments during his first season, played with the number 10 on his back. On 4 January 1998, he lifted the Ballon d’Or towards the San Siro skies before going on to beat Juventus 1-0. There was also a 3-0 derby victory, featuring a stunning goal and a celebration that has gone down in Inter history. Then came the trip to Turin to face Juventus, but above all, there was the unforgettable UEFA Cup campaign. In the semi-final against Spartak Moscow, O Fenômeno dominated in Russia, scoring twice on a pitch that seemed unplayable for everyone else. He danced through the mud, floating while everyone else sank: it was merely a prelude to the apotheosis in Paris, where Ronaldo scored Inter’s third goal in the final against Lazio. The Cup belonged to Inter. Paris was the perfect stage on which to celebrate the Fenomeno’s regal brilliance, a player in a class of his own, unreachable by anyone else. As Beppe Bergomi likes to recall: We were all equal except for one: Ronaldo was not like the others.

THE WAIT

After a fantastic first year, Ronaldo began to encounter the first difficulties of his career. Following a World Cup in France in which he was one of the tournament’s leading figures and a final defeat to the hosts, O Fenômeno returned to Inter determined to find happiness again. He took the number 9 shirt thanks to Ivan Zamorano, who came up with the extraordinary 1+8 for himself. Ronaldo was the symbol of Inter, but it was not the best season for the team. The Brazilian began to suffer a few minor injuries, but still played 28 matches, scoring 15 goals in all competitions. Following Bergomi’s retirement, Ronaldo was chosen as the new Nerazzurri captain. Inter also signed Christian Vieri and the fans began to dream: a fairytale strike partnership, built to rack up victories and trophies. Sadly, that was not how things turned out. On 21 November 1999, Ronaldo suffered a serious injury during a match against Lecce and was sidelined for several months. On 12 April 2000, he returned to action at the Stadio Olimpico against Lazio in the first leg of the Coppa Italia final. Just six minutes after coming on, however, his knee gave way and Ronie was left lying on the pitch in agony. A desperate cry of tears, shared with all his teammates and opponents, as well as the distraught Nerazzurri fans and football supporters around the world. Ronaldo would miss the entire 2000/01 season as he attempted to recover from his injury. Inter waited for him, ready to welcome him back when the time was right. The dream partnership with Vieri would remain unfinished. And yet, in fewer than 700 minutes played together across 11 matches, they scored 18 goals between them: nine from Ronaldo and nine from Vieri, averaging a goal every 37 minutes. A spark, just a glimpse of what might have been: a melancholy that swept through all Inter fans, who nevertheless knew that with those two on the pitch, anything would have been possible.

THE FINAL MOMENTS OF MAGIC

The 2001/02 season was Ronaldo’s last with Inter. O Fenômeno returned to action during the summer, featuring in a friendly at San Siro against Enyimba. Ronaldo Day was a celebration: it was 19 August, but for one day it felt as though Milano had filled up once again to embrace O Fenômeno, back on the San Siro pitch with his boots on. He returned to competitive action in Trieste against Brașov in the UEFA Cup qualifying rounds, but the wait for a goal continued. On 9 December 2001, he started alongside Vieri away to Brescia in the league. In the 19th minute, he exchanged passes with Bobo, made his way into the box and broke the deadlock. It was an incredible moment: Ronaldo was back, and he and Vieri seemed unstoppable. The victory also brought one of the final smiles to lawyer Peppino Prisco, who passed away in the days that followed. Ten days later, Ronie scored twice at San Siro against Hellas Verona. It was one of the loudest roars ever heard at the Meazza, which had gone wild with joy at the Fenomeno’s return. The season would end on a sour note, but Ronaldo kept the dream of triumph alive until the very end. On 14 April 2002, Inter were 1-0 down against Brescia. Ronaldo, battling through pain and exhaustion, scored two sensational goals as Inter secured a crucial victory and kept their dreams alive. Dreams that would finally be extinguished on the final matchday, despite Ronaldo’s goals against Chievo and Piacenza.

99 appearances, 59 goals, one UEFA Cup, two Ballon d’Ors and induction into the Inter Hall of Fame in 2018: numbers, however, can never explain what Ronaldo meant to Inter and his fans. Nor can they truly capture the profound and wonderful emotions the Fenomeno gave them during his five years in the Nerazzurri shirt.

On his 50th birthday, FC Internazionale Milano, the fans and the entire Inter family send their very best wishes to Ronaldo, O Fenômeno!