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Football's Greatest "What If" - The Return of the Phenomenon

One of football's greatest what-ifs: Ronaldo. Despite injuries, the Phenomenon became world champion in 2002. Read his story.

Evelyn Lee
ByEvelyn Lee- Senior Editor
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The 1990s were perhaps the most glorious era of football. Stars like Roberto Baggio, Zinedine Zidane, and Romario graced the pitches. The Italian Serie A was considered a mini World Cup.

A new talent was shining from Brazil: Ronaldo Nazario, later known as "The Phenomenon".

The 1998 World Cup final pitted Ronaldo against Zidane. The match ended with Zidane's show and France's victory, raising the question: Was Ronaldo truly great enough to lead his country to glory?

The answer came four years later. After severe knee injuries, Ronaldo arrived at the 2002 World Cup with little playing time but led Brazil to victory, finishing as top scorer with 8 goals.

Football's greatest "what if": Without injuries, how great could Ronaldo have been?

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