Former Milan Striker Ronaldo Announces Retirement After Historic Career

Brazilian legend Ronaldo announced his retirement from football today at the age of 34.

The numbers are undeniable. Ronaldo is one of the greatest players of all time. The Brazilian spent only a short while in his homeland at the start of his career, one year actually. He was originally turned down by Brazilian giant Flamengo, but Selecao great Jairzinho believed he had great potential and helped him join Cruzeiro where he scored 12 goals in only 14 matches in 1993.

He then moved on to Europe where he dominated for every team he played with: 42 goals in 46 league games for PSV Eindhoven, 34 in 37 for Barcelona, 49 in 68 for Inter Milan, and 83 in 127 as part of the great Real Madrid teams of the mid-2000s.

His career was legendary, but the world knew Ronaldo was getting older. He had been playing professionally since he was 16.

After his Real Madrid days, he completed a move to AC Milan. Excitement surrounded his move as Milanisti everywhere (including myself in the United States) could not wait to see the legend play for the club. However, injury and weight problems clouded his time at Milan. He played only 20 times for the club, but scored nine goals. He became the first player to score for both Milan and Inter in the Milan Derby, joined this year by Milan front man Zlatan Ibrahimovic on that list.

Apart from the Inter goal, Ronaldo's greatest Milan moment is surely the double he scored in a 5-2 victory over Napoli at the San Siro. This is the only time the Brazilian trio of Ronaldo, Kaka and newcomer Alexandre Pato were able to play as an attacking trio.

Many Milan fans still remember the horror of watching Ronaldo go down against Livorno on February 13, 2008. After going up for a cross, he tore the kneecap ligament in his left knee and was ruled out for the season. Unfortunately, that is the last memory of Ronaldo in a Milan shirt. He left to finish his career with Corinthians after the season.

Though he was only with Milan for a short while, I feel proud to have had one of the greatest players of all time, a 3-time World Player of the Year, 2-time World Cup winner, and the all-time leading scorer at the World Cup, wearing the famous red and black of Milan.

Ronaldo will always be remembered as one of the greats—one of the legends who brought the Brazilian Samba to the pitch with such greatness. I only wish I had had the privilege of seeing the legends of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Cafu, Leonardo, Roberto Carlos and the rest of the Brazilian machine on the pitch together in person. What a sight it would have been.