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One of the most famous players of the past decade, Ronaldo, officially announced the end of his career on Monday.
The 34-year-old striker, thrice recognized as the best football player of the year on the planet, has a valid contract with his homeland club "Corinthians", but will hang up his boots after an early withdrawal from the "Libertadores" Cup tournament.
"I can't do it anymore," Ronaldo told the newspaper "Estado de Sao Paulo". "I wanted to continue my career, but I simply can't. During matches, I think about what to do, but I can't implement it. The time has come."
Ronaldo started his career at the "Cruzeiro" club, and in 1994 moved to Europe, signing a contract with PSV Eindhoven.
After two successful seasons in the Netherlands, he was called by "Barcelona", and in the first year alone he scored more than 30 goals, becoming the most expensive football player in the world for more than 20 million euros by moving to Milan's "Inter".
In Italy, the Brazilian spent five years and, despite injuries, became FIFA's best player twice.
In 2002, Ronaldo left "Inter" for 39 million euros and became a member of Madrid's "Real", breaking the record for shirt sales on the first day. Over five seasons, he scored more than 80 goals, but in 2006, with the addition of Ruud van Nistelrooy, his star faded and coach Fabio Capello expressed displeasure with his increasing weight.
Therefore, in 2007, Ronaldo ended up at "AC Milan" for a modest 7.5 million euros, but was plagued by injuries and left after a year. After recovering, he joined "Corinthians", and in the 2009 season he scored 12 goals in 20 matches.
Ronaldo's career highlights:
