OTD, the REAL Ronaldo won his second Ballon d'Or 17 years ago

Brazil legend Ronaldo Nazario has been phenomenal throughout his career for both club and country. The player enjoyed an illustrious career with multiple accolades to his name. He won the Ballon d’Or twice, which is considered as the top prize at an individual level for any footballer.

Also Read | Qatar Hits Metro Milestone Ahead Of World Cup

Ronaldo Nazario won the Ballon d'Or on December 12, 2002 

Ronaldo Nazario won his second Ballon d’Or on December 12, 2002, exactly 17 years ago. Ronaldo was part of the Galactico era of Real Madrid, which included Zinedine Zidane, Luís Figo, Roberto Carlos and David Beckham. He won a second World Cup in 2002 where he starred in an attack loaded with names like Rivaldo and Ronaldinho. Ronaldo scored a brace in the final, and received the Golden Boot as the tournament's top goalscorer. His heroics at the World Cup meant that he won the Ballon d’or in 2002. He had also won a Ballon d’or earlier during 1998 while playing with Inter Milan. He joined Real Madrid after his World Cup triumph and became a part of the Galactico era.

Also Read | Sergio Ramos Suggests Separate Ballon D'Or Category For Lionel Messi And Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo Nazario played for most of the top clubs in the world

Ronaldo Nazario boasts off a prolific club career. He played for most of the top teams in the world. During his professional footballing career, he played for the likes of Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan. He won many accolades including the Intercontinental Cup in 2002. He also won the LaLiga with Real Madrid which was his maiden Spanish League title. He scored a total of 352 goals in 518 games during his club career.

Also Read | Cristiano Ronaldo Has Fewer Goals Than Cesar Azpilicueta In Champions League This Season

Ronaldo Nazario had an accomplished career with Brazil

Ronaldo was unstoppable at the international level as well. He won the FIFA World Cup twice with Brazil - 1994 and 2002. He also won the Copa America twice (1997 and 1999), while winning the FIFA Confederation Cup once (1997). He played a total of 98 games for Brazil, scoring 62 goals in all.  Having suffered further injuries, Ronaldo decided to retire from professional football in 2011. Ronaldo is still associated with football. He recently became the majority owner of La Liga club Real Valladolid in September 2018 after buying majority of the club's shares.

Also Read | Ashley Young Furious At 2014 Video Of Bird Pooping In His Mouth Breaking The Internet