Ronaldo ready to hang up boots
Record-breaking Brazil striker Ronaldo is poised to announce his retirement from football.
The 34-year-old, who has enjoyed a glittering career in Spain, Holland, Italy and Brazil, has of late become a target for Corinthians fans disappointed at their side’s exit from the Copa Libertadores.
He told newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo: “I want to stay but I can’t. I think of a move, but I can’t perform it as I want to. It’s time.”
He added: “My body aches. The head wants to continue, but the body can’t take much more.”
Ronaldo first moved to Europe in 1994 when he joined PSV Eindhoven from Cruzeiro.
A prolific scorer in the Eredivisie, he joined Barcelona despite knee problems which blighted him in his second season in Holland, going on to achieve record-breaking success in Spain.
He spent just a year at Barca, scoring 47 goals in 49 games and becoming the youngest player ever to win the FIFA World Player of the Year award, before contract wrangles saw him join Inter Milan for a then world-record fee of £19m.
His success continued at Inter, then Barca’s great rivals Real Madrid, though injury problems hindered his time in Italy.
Ronaldo joined AC Milan in 2007 but after suffering a third serious knee injury he returned to Brazil in 2009.
He will perhaps be best remembered for his international exploits, having scored a record 15 World Cup goals.
He scored eight in the 2002 tournament in Japan and South Korea alone, including both goals in the 2-0 final victory over Germany.
He was also the first player to win the FIFA World Player of the Year award three times.
