Real Madrid: Ranking the five best No. 9’s in club history
5. Ronaldo Nazario
The fifth name on this list is that of one of the greatest footballers of all time, Ronaldo Nazario, who is popularly known as ‘El Fenomeno’, which meant the phenomenon. And he was truly a phenomenon. He had all the skills any player could only ever dream of. He was such a perfect footballer, and he had entertained the Real Madrid fans with his skills and goals for five seasons.
Florentino Perez had signed Ronaldo from Inter Milan, as a part of his Galactico policy, in 2002. He cost the club 46 million, and he was coming to Real Madrid after a successful World Cup campaign with Brazil. Despite suffering from a dangerous knee injury at Inter, which diminished a lot of his abilities, he still had the Brazilian flair in him and was one of the best strikers out there, if not the best.
His debut for Real Madrid was a delayed one due to an injury issue, but his first game for Madrid was a memorable one. He started his Real Madrid career with a bang, as it took him just 61 seconds after coming on as a substitute, to score against Alaves. He had a great first season, as he scored 30 goals in his return to Spain and led his club to a league title.
Those 30 goals included a hat-trick against Manchester United in the second leg of a UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. In my opinion, that game against United was his best in a Real Madrid shirt, and that performance warranted a standing ovation from Manchester United fans. Two of those three goals were unforgettable strikes from the Brazilian, and they would definitely make the list of his all-time top goals.
He kickstarted his Real Madrid career with such a wonderful season, and he went on to score a total of 104 goals in 177 appearances. He couldn’t win a Champions League title with Real Madrid, but he won 2 LaLiga titles, and a Supercopa de Espana medal as well. These numbers and achievements could’ve been a lot better, if not for Ronaldo’s recurring injuries and weight issues. But none of this undermines his status as one of Real Madrid’s legends and best strikers, despite playing just four and a half seasons at Real Madrid.
He was a player who had played for Barcelona in the past, but he had no issues in winning the support of Real Madrid fans, and he had the magical skills to woo every one of them. The serious knee injury did make him slower, but it didn’t change the quality inside him. He was still the same physical and skillful dribbler, and his habit of finishing the move with a calm and cool shot didn’t change.
He was one of the best dribblers at that time, and he never wasted a chance to show his skills. One of his favorite moves was to round the keeper in a 1v1 situation, before taking the shot. He used that skill to perfection and scored many such wonderful goals. And he was a magnificent goalscorer, who knew how to be at the perfect place and create something out of nothing. He wasn’t a poacher, but he did have some poaching qualities and he put them to use.
The fans of Real Madrid were really lucky enough to see such a talented player play for their club.