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The Original Ronaldo Scored His Greatest Ever Goal 21 Years Today

The Original Ronaldo Scored His Greatest Ever Goal 21 Years Today

Bobby Robson's reaction was utterly brilliant...

Josh Lawless

Josh Lawless

It's exactly 21 years to the day that the original Ronaldo scored what is widely considered to be his greatest ever goal.

'O Fenomeno' has quite the repertoire of wonder-goals in his glittering career, whether it be for Cruzeiro, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Corinthians or the Brazilian national team. At club level, the two-time Ballon d'Or winner, scored 352 goals, as well as bagging 62 in 98 for the Selecao.

But when you are talking about the best goal 'R9' has ever scored, the sublime solo effort against Compostela in 1996 is at the very top of the list.

In a 5-1 win, the Brazilian scored twice and his first strike was utterly sublime.

Receiving the ball in his own half, the three-time FIFA World Player of the Year slalomed his way to goal, displaying innate pace and power, balance and sheer skill. And he had the cool finish to top it all of.

What's perhaps most impressive about the goal is that several defenders do their very best to foul him; pulling on his shirt and wildly attempting to hack him down. But Ronaldo was having absolutely none of it and his persistence ultimately paid of.

The goal is incredibly iconic, as is the commentary, but what really makes the moment is the priceless reaction from Ronaldo's manager on the touchline, the late Sir Bobby Robson.

In total disbelief over what his star striker had just served up, Robson stood there in awe for a good few seconds before putting his hands in his pocket.

When you watch the goal (and it's perfectly acceptable to gaze your eyes on it multiple times), it makes it even more baffling that to begin with, EA Sports didn't have Ronaldo as boasting five-star skills upon his return to the game as the face of the 'Icons' in FIFA 18.

Image: PA

FIFA fans were furious as at first, none of the three Ronaldo cards came with five-star skills, which was quite rightly seen as an insult to the legendary R9 - given that with him only being four-star skills, he wouldn't have been able to perform his signature 'Elastico' move, accompanied by the fact that he was five-star skills in his last appearance on the game - in FIFA 11.

However, the amount of disapproval forced the head honchos of to act and they promptly announced that Ronaldo's 94-rated and 96-rated card has been upgraded to five-star skills

Be right back, just off to try and score that goal with R9 on FIFA 18...

Featured Image Credit:

Topics: Barcelona, Ronaldo, Ballon d'Or, AC Milan, Brazil, FIFA 18, Real Madrid, Inter Milan