Eindhoven, he joined Spanish giants Barcelona in 1996. In his first season with the Catalan club, he scored an amazing 34 goals in 37 games to finish as the top scorer in the Spanish League. His 1997 move to Italian side Inter saw him make a mockery of the famed Italian defenses, scoring 25 goals in the league and helping Inter win the UEFA Cup, all during his first season. When Real Madrid came knocking in 2002, Ronaldo answered the call. He went on to score 23 goals in his debut season for Madrid and 24 the following season, which resulted in another Spanish scoring title.
A much unused substitute in the 1994 World Cup, Ronaldo shone in the 1998 edition of the competition, netting four goals before mysteriously falling ill the day of the final as his side lost 3-0 to France. Four years later, Ronaldo returned to prove his point: eight goals throughout the competition, including both goals in the final match against Germany, and Brazil was crowned the 2002 World Cup champion.