Ronaldo Nazário played for seven clubs and four World Cups, and wore four different numbers along the way: 9, 10, 11 and 99. That is a big part of why his shirts are so collected, and why it pays to know which number belongs to which season. This is his career told through the shirts, club by club.
Cruzeiro and PSV, 1993 to 1996
Ronaldo broke through at Cruzeiro as a teenager and won the Copa do Brasil in 1993. In 1994 he went to the World Cup in the United States as the youngest player in Brazil's squad. He did not play a minute, and because there was already an older Ronaldo in the squad, he was listed as Ronaldinho.
After the tournament he moved to PSV. In two seasons in Eindhoven he scored 54 goals in 58 games and won the Dutch Cup in 1996, in the red and white shirts with Philips across the front. PSV shirts from his years are rare in good condition, and an original Ronaldo print from that period is rarer still.
Barcelona 1996-97: the Kappa number 9
Barcelona paid a world record fee to sign him in 1996. He stayed one season, scored 34 league goals and won the Cup Winners' Cup, and was named FIFA World Player of the Year at 20. The shirt is the Kappa home shirt with no sponsor on the front, because Barcelona did not carry a commercial sponsor in those years. Ronaldo wore 9.
Inter 1997 to 2002: the 10, the 9 and the knee
Inter broke the world record again to bring him to Milan in 1997, which made him the second player after Diego Maradona to be the subject of two world record transfers. In his first season the shirt was Umbro with Pirelli on the front, and he wore number 10. He won the UEFA Cup in 1998 and the Ballon d'Or for 1997.
In the summer of 1998 Nike took over the Inter kit and Roberto Baggio arrived, so Baggio took the 10 and Ronaldo moved to the 9. Iván Zamorano, who had worn the 9, answered with the famous 1+8 print. His shirts are in the Zamorano collection.
The Inter years were also the injury years. In November 1999 he ruptured a tendon in his knee against Lecce, and in April 2000, on his comeback, the patellar ligament went completely. He scored 49 Serie A goals for Inter. Both the Umbro 10 and the Nike 9 are among the most wanted Inter shirts of the nineties, and the Inter Ronaldo era is in our list of the most iconic football shirts you can own.
Brazil 1998 and 2002: the World Cup shirts
At France 98 he wore the Nike number 9, won the Golden Ball and played the final against France hours after a seizure. Four years later, after almost two years lost to knee injuries, he scored eight goals at the 2002 World Cup, including both goals in the final against Germany, and won the Golden Boot. The 2002 Brazil home shirt with Ronaldo 9 is the one most people picture when they hear his name. See the Brazil collection.
In 2006 he scored his 15th World Cup goal, at the time a record, again in the yellow Nike 9.
Real Madrid 2002 to 2007: from 11 to 9
Real Madrid signed him after the 2002 World Cup. Fernando Morientes still had the 9, so Ronaldo wore 11 in his first season, the centenary year, in the white adidas shirt with Siemens mobile on the front. He won La Liga in 2002-03 and the Intercontinental Cup, and was named FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon d'Or winner for 2002.
When Morientes left in 2003, Ronaldo took the 9 and kept it until 2007. He scored 83 La Liga goals for the club. See all Real Madrid shirts.
Milan 2007-08: the 99
At AC Milan the 9 belonged to Filippo Inzaghi, so Ronaldo chose 99. He played one season in the adidas red and black and ruptured the patellar ligament in his other knee in February 2008. See the AC Milan collection.
Corinthians 2009 to 2011
He finished his career back in Brazil with Corinthians and retired in February 2011, citing pain and hypothyroidism.
How to date a Ronaldo shirt
- The number tells you the season. Inter 10 is 1997-98, Inter 9 is 1998-99 onwards. Real Madrid 11 is 2002-03, Real Madrid 9 is 2003 to 2007. Milan is always 99.
- The maker tells you the Inter era. Umbro is 1997-98, Nike is 1998 onwards.
- The badges. A Real Madrid 2002-03 shirt carries the centenary detail. Check sleeve badges against match photos from the same season.
- The label. Check the wash label and product code. Our guide to buying an authentic shirt and not a reissue explains what we check.
FAQ
Why did Ronaldo wear 99 at Milan?
Filippo Inzaghi already wore the 9, so Ronaldo took 99.
What number did Ronaldo wear at Inter?
Number 10 in 1997-98, then number 9 from 1998 after Roberto Baggio arrived and took the 10.
Why did Ronaldo wear 11 at Real Madrid?
Fernando Morientes had the 9 when Ronaldo arrived in 2002. Ronaldo took the 9 the next season.
How many World Cup goals did Ronaldo score?
Fifteen, a record when he scored the last of them in 2006.
Every Ronaldo shirt we list is a one-of-one original, so when it sells it is gone. You can find them in the Ronaldo collection, alongside Inter and Brazil, and the length and width of each shirt are on the product page, explained in our measurements guide.