Ronaldo Luìs Nazàrio de Lima, known simply as Ronaldo, was a legendary footballer for both club and country. The Brazilian National, popularly dubbed “El Fenomeno” (The Phenomenon), is widely considered one of the greatest strikers ever. The clinical finisher claimed the FIFA World Player of the Year award three times and the Ballon d’Or in 1997 and 2002. His runs with country (1994-2011) and storied clubs PSC, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Real Madrid earned him several tournament MVPs and Golden Boot awards, cementing his status among the all-time greats. He is Brazil's second all-time leading scorer (trailing only Pelé) with 62 goals in 98 caps for Seleção. In a career full of highlights, Ronaldo's finest hour came in the 2002 FIFA World Cup Final against Germany when the bulky 6-foot forward notched two brilliant goals in the second half to lead Brazil to a 2-0 victory and their record fifth world title.
Featured is a Ronaldo Inter Milan match worn jersey dating to the 1997-98 season. Ronaldo cleaned up the awards that season, earning UEFA Footballer of the Year, UEFA Cup Finals MVP, and Serie A Footballer of the Year as a member of the famed Italian club. The Umbro collared jersey (size L) in Internazionale's blue and black vertical striped color scheme exhibits solid game use with staining on the "PIRELLI" (club sponsor) and Umbro logos on the front, along with some lightly soiled numbers and letters on the back. A "Vapa Tech Performance" tag hangs just above an arched "RONALDO" pressed-on across the upper back. The Inter Milan crest patch and a gold star are centered on the front chest, each sewn-on in gold embroidery. "Internazionale" is repeated in lovely calligraphy against the black stripes of the shirt, and "INTER" is sewn in white at the front shirttail. Ronaldo’s large number "10" on the back features Umbro logos stamped at the bottom in blue. Ronaldo has autographed the '0' in now faded black pen, but his name is still legible. It is very tough to find top European club gamers in the hobby, especially ones worn by such a significant player.
Includes LOA from a former Brazil National Team Technical Coordinator who most likely acquired this shirt from Ronaldo when he was called upon to play for his country.