Ronaldo was born on 22 September 1976 in a poor suburb of Rio de Janeiro. Like most of his childhood friends, Ronaldo began his soccer career playing barefoot （赤脚的）in the streets of his neighborhood. At the age of 14, he joined a club and only two years later became the star of Cruzeiro Belo Horizonte scoring a total of 58 goals in 60 matches and earning himself a reputation（名誉） for his explosive（像爆炸一样的） pace and outstanding（突出的）skills. His goal-scoring record and unusual agility（敏捷） led him to be included in the Brazilian World Cup winning team the following year. After the World Cup, many top European football clubs were trying to sign（和……签约） him. Many people, including Brazilian football legend Pelé, referred to him as the most promising（有希望的） footballer of his generation.

Since the 98 World Cup he has suffered two serious knee injuries that have severely limited his appearances. Just when people began to wonder whether Ronaldo would be able to continue with his football career, he proved to the world that he still could play. In the World Cup held in Korea and Japan, the magical（不可思议的） striker won the Golden Shoe award. He helped Brazil capture its fifth World Cup championship on June 30 with a 2-0 win over Germany. It was the third time that Ronaldo has ever played in the World Cup.