Pele and the 20 Greatest Brazilian Footballers of All Time | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

Had it not been for injury, I have no doubt that Ronaldo would be even higher on this list than he is. Considering his woes, it is remarkable even that he achieved as much as he did.

By the age of 21, heading into the France '98 tournament, Ronaldo had already scored over 200 career goals across four countries, won a World Cup in 1994, and twice been crowned FIFA World Player of the Year.

At that tournament, he was the star attraction. Brazil were deprived of Romário through injury, but the likes of Bebeto, Rivaldo and Edmundo were all playing second-fiddle to the Rio de Janeiro-born youngster.

Ronaldo would finish the tournament with a Golden Ball, for the competition's best player, and four-goals to his name. However, the tournament would ultimately leave an unhappy memory for the striker, having suffered a fit prior to the final and failed to perform when eventually named in the starting lineup.

He had, of course, already won a World Cup title as a 17-year-old in 1994. However, having not featured in that tournament, he was still searching for his defining moment on the biggest of all footballing stages.

That moment arrived in 2002. Following three years of almost constant absence through injury, Ronaldo returned with a bang to score eight goals at the tournament and secure a fifth title for his country.

His two goals to defeat Germany in the final will be remembered as one of the truly iconic moments in footballing history, as Ronaldo banished his own personal pain of France '98 to secure his place among the greats of the game.

In 2006, despite not enjoying the best of tournaments in a faltering Brazil side, Ronaldo added three more World Cup goals to his tally. His final effort, against Ghana, saw him become the tournament's greatest scorer of all-time, with 15 goals to his name.

In total, Ronaldo made 98 appearances for Brazil, scoring 62 times.