If this was a list looking at the greatest players of the 1990s, there is every chance that Ronaldo would be top of the pile. Although he was starting to slowly drift past his very best by the time we reached the millennium, he still had several superb years left in him. The Brazilian legend was still at Inter Milan in 2000, but had suffered horrific problems with injuries since starring at the 1998 World Cup. He had played 24 times in just three seasons, and when the 2002 World Cup rolled around there were many 'experts' who felt that, although still remarkably just 25, Ronaldo would be a shadow of his former self. He proved them wonderfully wrong, however, scoring eight goals in just seven games to win the Golden Boot. His double in the final against Germany clinched Brazil's first World Cup triumph since 1994. He moved to Real Madrid that summer, and was fantastic there during his first three or four years alongside fellow 'Galacticos' Zidane and Luis Figo. He scored an incredible hat-trick against United in the 2002/03 Champions League, in which he was applauded off the pitch by the Old Trafford faithful. Despite his brilliance very much being on the wane by 2006, Ronaldo still had time to make history at the World Cup in Germany. His goal against Ghana made him the top scorer in World Cup history; a record that has since been broken by Miroslav Klose. Blessed with speed, skill, power and unrivalled finishing, Ronaldo was a footballing phenomenon. You can't help but wonder how good he would have been without the injuries. There's certainly an argument to say he would be among the top three or four ever to play the game.
