Welcome to a new series of articles from Last Word on Football. In the coming days and weeks, we will look back at several historical moments in football and ask, \u201cWhat if things took a different turn?\u201d<\/p>\n
Today, we\u2019ll take a look at Ronaldo Nazario\u2019s career-defining injury problems.<\/p>\n
Ronaldo had already established himself as one of the best strikers in the world when he completed a sensational move to Inter Milan in 1997. At 21 years old, he had already won the World Cup and the Ballon d\u2019Or while breaking the world transfer record twice<\/a>.<\/p>\n Read More<\/strong>: What If J\u00fcrgen Klopp Became Bayern Munich Coach In 2008<\/a><\/p>\n However, it was his first two seasons at San Siro that convinced the world that they were witnessing one of the greatest footballers in history in action. R9\u2019s combination of explosive runs, dribbling skills and clinical finishing became a nightmare for Serie A defenders, earning him the Fenomeno (the phenomenon) nickname.<\/p>\n Inter started the 1999\/2000 campaign with one of Serie A\u2019s most iconic attacking lines, playing Ronaldo alongside Christian Vieri and Roberto Baggio. The Nerazzurri started the season with four wins and a draw, but their impressive run was ended by heavy injuries to Ronaldo and Vieri.<\/p>\n During a 6-0 win over Lecce on November 21, the Brazilian limped off the pitch with his first serious knee injury. A ruptured tendon forced the Brazil international to undergo surgery and kept him sidelined until April. However, things only got worse when he finally made his comeback against Lazio in a Coppa Italia game.<\/p>\n Read More<\/strong>: It Almost Happened: 18-Year-Old Cristiano Ronaldo Joins Arsenal<\/a><\/p>\n Only six minutes after coming off the bench, Ronaldo attempted one of his trademark runs but collapsed to the turf in agonizing pain. The Stadio Olimpico crowd gave the striker a standing ovation as he was reduced to tears and stretched off the pitch. Ronaldo had completely ruptured the tendons in his knee cap, suffering what was described as an \u201cunbelievable<\/a>\u201d injury by his then physiotherapist.<\/p>\n Read More<\/strong>: It Almost Happened: Diego Maradona Signs For Sunderland<\/a><\/p>\n After undergoing two more surgeries, Ronaldo was able to play for Brazil in the 2002 World Cup. His incredible performances led the Selecao to the trophy and earned him a second Ballon d\u2019Or. However, most observers believe he never managed to fully regain the explosiveness that defined his performances in the late 1990s.<\/p>\n Ronaldo\u2019s recurring fitness issues at Real Madrid and his later image of an overweight striker are in such contrast to his early career that it begs the question of what his football legacy would have looked like without injury setbacks.<\/p>\n The striker was at the peak of his career when back-to-back injuries sidelined him for almost two full seasons. At the age of only 23, he had already scored over 200 goals for club and country, becoming an unstoppable force in Inter\u2019s attacking line.<\/p>\n Given his form at the time, Ronaldo had a good chance of smashing several all-time goalscoring records if it wasn\u2019t for his long spells on the sidelines.<\/p>\nA Nightmarish Season<\/h3>\n
What if Ronaldo Nazario\u2019s Career Wasn\u2019t Derailed by Injuries?<\/h3>\n