Top 20 nicknames of footballers - Part 2 of 2

Andoni Goiketxea was nicknamed for his aggressive style of play

#19 Ronaldo – Il Fenomeno (The Phenomenon)

Ronaldo celebrates scoring one of his two goals in the 2002 FIFA World Cup final

The greatest striker ever. Period. A phenomenon, Ronaldo Luis Nazario De Lima had a career blighted by injuries, but the things that he could do with the ball at his feet could be done by very few footballers ever.

Pace, power, strength, aerial ability, lethal finishing, Ronaldo had it all. His time at Barcelona will be remembered in not for anything else, for Sir Bobby Robson’s gesture of sheer disbelief after he scored one of his many stunning goals.

It was that ability which the media celebrated by calling him the phenomenon

He had a meltdown in the build-up to the 1998 World Cup final, which Brazil lost, but he ensured that when the chance came again four years later, there was no messing around.

He became only the second player to score past Oliver Kahn in that World Cup as he scored twice in the final for Brazil to run out 2-0 winners and lift the trophy for a record fifth time.

A striker like Ronaldo will probably never be seen again. But then again, how can we expect to see someone like that? He was a phenomenon after all.

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