5 Kits That Defined a Career: Ronaldo Nazario | OneFootball

Our iconic kit series continues with Ronaldo Nazario, whose well-traveled career saw him don some of the most memorable jerseys of all time. 

With one of the highest peaks of any footballer, Ronaldo (the Brazilian one, although it feels disrespectful to have to clarify) is regarded as one of the greatest to ever do it, even with the litany of injuries he faced throughout his career.

At his peak, Ronaldo didn’t seem real. He almost felt alien. Speed, skill, power. He was the entire package. In a terrible attempt to avoid Brazilian football cliches, it was a street footballer on the world stage. Talent.

His career can be segmented into chapters. Teenage phenomenon, global superstar, injured icon. Ronaldo’s career was a rollercoaster, and while I refuse to diminish it to an insult, it teetered off so much resulting in the “Fat Ronaldo” nickname following him everywhere.

However, for those who know football know that Ronaldo is one of the best in history, and there’s no knee injury or weight gain that can dispute that. Throughout his career, he also wore some pretty spectacular football shirts, each of which can pinpoint a significant time in his career. From PSV to Real Madrid, this is Ronaldo’s career in shirts.

PSV Eindhoven 1994-95 Home

Ronaldo arrived in Europe as a relatively unknown prodigy, coming from Brazilian side Cruzeiro, where he had scored 44 goals in 47 games across all competitions. What happened next means “arrived” was a bit of an understatement. I probably should’ve used “exploded” because he announced himself on the European stage with 35 goals in 36 games in his first season for the Dutch side. He followed that up with 19 goals in 21 the next season, too. Prolific.

The kit itself is etched in everyone’s memories of the game. It’s become a cult status kit purely down to Ronaldo. A beautiful take on the classic ’90s template, it features red and white stripes with a button-up collar and the written adidas logo. Beautiful.

FC Barcelona 1996-97 Home

Photo by Andreas Rentz/Bongarts/Getty Images

This goes down as one of the greatest individual seasons of all time: 47 goals in 49 games in all competitions is one way to put your name in the history books. In his lone season with the Catalonian giants, Ronaldo won the Copa del Rey, Supercopa de España, and the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. But his time with Barcelona wasn’t just about winning, it was more about his power, pace, and skill that dazzled the world.

He signed for the club for a world-record fee of $19.5 million, and it was money well spent. He once scored a goal against Compostela that is still referenced today. Receiving the ball in his own half, he embarked on a solo run that ended with a goal, much to manager Bobby Robson’s joy and disbelief. The camera panned to Robson, who had his hands on his head as if to say, “What did I just watch?!”

The kit is also etched in the history books. A Barcelona and Kappa classic, this one is a grail for many.

Inter Milan 1997-98 European Third

Photo by Ben Radford/Allsport/Getty Images/Hulton Archive

For yet another world record fee, Ronaldo moved from Barcelona to Inter for $27 million, making him the second player, after Diego Maradona, to break a world record fee twice. At Inter, he really became the most feared striker in the world. He had joined a league with some of the best defenders, and still scored for fun. UEFA Cup winner. Ballon d’Or winner. He was on the up.

However, it was his time at Inter where his injuries would start to take their toll. Ruptured tendons, blown kneecaps. It was a career that would start to be hindered by big injuries. He actually missed the entirety of the 2000-01 season.

This shirt, though, is one of the first anyone will call. The picture of Il Fenomeno, celebrating a goal, finger pointed. It’s synonymous with football. Etched in everyone’s mind, and the game forever.

Brazil 2002 Home

Photo by Andreas Rentz/Bongarts/Getty Images

Ronaldo is a two-time World Cup winner. He got a medal in the 1994 World Cup as a teenager (he didn’t play), but in 2002, he was the main guy. And one of the main reasons why everyone knows this kit is because Brazil won it all, but also because of something many have copied for a while: his haircut. An interesting fringe with a shaved head became iconic.

What made this even better was that he had hardly played leading up to the tournament, missing the entire qualifiers. He went on to score against every team apart from England in the quarters. The haircut? Not just another ego-driven move from a highly-paid footballer, no. But a tactical move to deter media attention away from his injury. Smart.

The kit itself is iconic. A beautiful Brazil shirt, synonymous with early 00s culture. Streetwear fiends love it. And love Ronaldo, too.

Real Madrid 2002-03 Home

Photo by Martin Rose/Bongarts/Getty Images

The jewel in the Galacticos’ crown, Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid after his World Cup triumph and returned to Spain as a global icon. While with Los Blancos, he once received a standing ovation from Manchester United fans after scoring a hat-trick against them in the Champions League and then being subbed in the 67th minute.

His career at Real Madrid went on to be fruitful in the goal department, ultimately ending with question marks about his fitness and weight. The acquisition of Ruud Van Nistelrooy in 2006 certainly didn’t help.

Regardless, this kit marks a significant chapter in his career. Siemens logo, all white kit. It’s iconic, as is he.