ronaldo luiz nazario de lima1 was born on 22 september 1976 in a poor suburb of rio de janeiro2. like most of his childhood friends, ronaldo began his soccer career playing barefoot in the streets of his neighborhood. at the age of 14, he joined s?o cristov?o3 soccer club and only two years later became the star of cruzeiro belo horizonte4 scoring a total of 58 goals in 60 matches and earning himself a reputation for his explosive5 pace and outstanding finishing skills. his goal-scoring record and unusual agility6 led him to be included in the brazilian world cup winning team the following year. after the world cup, many top european football clubs were trying to sign him. many people, including brazilian football legend pelé7, referred to him as the most promisin* footballer of his generation. __