The matter even ended up in a subsequent government hearing, but there was never any evidence to support such a claim. Ronaldo kicks the ball to scores the first goal against Turkey during the semifinal match of the FIFA 2002 World Cup Korea Japan 26 June, 2002, in Saitama, Japan. Then, at around four-oclock in the afternoon, the Inter Milan striker began to convulse uncontrollably, eventually foaming at the mouth. Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. It was a match that inevitably rekindled memories of Paris and for Ronaldo himself, very painful ones. This was was the biggest match in French football history the country's first ever World Cup final and, as Brazil's key man, Ronaldo was seen as a major obstacle to success for Les Bleus. Ronaldo's biggest involvement in the game occurred when he collided with France goalkeeper Fabien Barthez. Speaking after his brace in the final, he said: 'I am very ambitious. The notion that he wouldn't be playing was simply unthinkable. The World Cup final is the worlds biggest TV show.. Great company and great staff. After all, he was the best striker on the planet. 
Whatever the cause of Ronaldo's final flop against France in 1998, he more than made up for it four years later. What if Nike, via Texeira, had demanded Ronaldos name on the team sheet? Pel and who else? Theory 1: Ronaldo Was Hiding a Secret Medical Condition. Were the Brazilians trying to throw the French team off their game? The company had invested significant resources in its agreement with Texeira and the CBF, and as per The Independent it was already common practice for them to request the full turnout of Brazils best squad at international friendlies. Edmundo hinted that Nike, who were partners with both Brazil and Ronaldo, influenced team selection. 'In any case, I had a duty to my country and I didn't want to miss it. But what if Ronaldo had covered up a pre-existing condition? "He went through the motions of playing center forward. The hosts' victory was said to please FIFA president Sepp Blatter as it helped the tournament to be seen as a successful vehicle for social improvements in France. He had no choice and accepted my decision. Brazil were beaten 3-0 by hosts France in the final on Sunday July 12, 1998 in a match where the biggest incident occurred before it had even begun. But his rest was disturbed by a worrying fit which caused his team-mates alarm. He also revealed that Ronaldo had been taking the painkiller Volaren since re-aggravating a knee injury against Morocco on June 16. "The team sheets were handed around by the stewards as usual; lo and behold, Ronaldo's name was not there and everybody looking at their handout had the same reaction," Motson told CNN Sport. "When I went to the stadium, he was still in the hospital. The official line from the CBF and the few players who have ever discussed what happened in the hours leading up to the 1998 World Cup final is that Ronaldo, feeling considerable pressure, got sick and, just 40 minutes prior to kick-off, pronounced himself fit to play. After that, I had a convulsion. Alex Bellos is the author of Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life (Bloomsbury, 9.99), When Brazil's star striker fell ill just before the last World Cup final it set off a trail of questions and allegations that has yet to run its course, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. 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', Ronaldo pictured with managerMario Zagallo after Brazil's semi-final win over Holland, Just do it! Amid the madness, Motson sent BBC colleague Ray Stubbs to investigate and he sought information from Pele. Historians will record the game as a 3-0 win for Zinedine Zidane and France, a result that sparked emotional scenes of celebration on the Champs-lyses for the tournament's host nation. Now 25, Ronaldo lit up the tournament in Japan and South Korea. Dida told CNN, who stayed with Ronaldo until kickoff, a reassuring presence in the striker's hour of need. That would be quite the understatement. 'I didn't give him an alternative. A lot of talk and a spot of golf in the team hotel. I said don't worry, calm down, because this time you're not with Roberto Carlos!" On July 12the day of the 1998 World Cup finalthe Brazilian squad had lunch in Lesigny, just outside Paris. According to The Independent, Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) president Ricardo Texeirahe of the 80 million sponsorship negotiation with Nikewalked into the teams dressing room about an hour before kick-off. The supposed motive was clear though. I would recommend them to everyone who needs any metal or Fabrication work done. Was it gamesmanship? But, devoid of any further explanation, no one could say for sure whether Ronaldo would really be playing until the referee blew the whistle and he could be seen standing in the middle of the field. Here are the test results, they're fine. But certainly he made no impact on the game," says Motson. A wild theory, said to have appeared in an email inbox at the Globo TV network, claimed that Brazil 'sold' the 1998 World Cup to France. This theory has the Brazil squad being offered 15 million, according to The Guardian, as well as the right to host a future World Cup in exchange for throwing the match against France. It was the night football lost its innocence. We were all so worried and sad about him; we weren't clear on what was happening. Ronaldo was scared about what lay ahead, Roberto Carlos later told the BBC. Jorge Kajuru claimed that Ronaldo's fit could have occurred following an allergic reaction. One flimsy rumour claimed that Ronaldo's fits were caused by his then-girlfriendSusana Werner having an affair with Julio Cesar. Indeed the show centred around him, but not in the way he would have wished, asSportsmail remembers 20 years on Ronaldo looks dejected after Brazil lost 3-0 to France in the final of the 1998 World Cup. After being greeted with a shrug by the Brazil legend in the press area, Stubbs returned to the gantry where Motson told the nation: 'Even Pele doesn't know what's going on!'. "He ran down and asked him what it was all about. Nike denied that their 10-year deal with Brazil, which had been signed in 1997, gave them a say in team tactics. Motson colorfully describes a state of total confusion lasting for what felt like 'half an hour' and the delivery of an amended team sheet did little to clear things up. Roberto Carlos (right) following Brazil's loss to France.
In the stadium, Motson's colleague, the former England striker Gary Lineker, described it as "the biggest wind-up in World Cup football history.". ', Leeds train ahead of Crystal Palace friendly in Australia, Root remains commitment to England after Stokes and Morgan retirements. The comments below have not been moderated. His replacement, Edmundo, was sent back to the substitutes bench, but the game plan which had been hastily rearranged in the preceding hours was now discarded without any more time for a rethink. If any of the 1998 conspiracy theories passes muster, its this one. Ronaldo added that the only agreement he had with Nike was to 'wear their brand of footwear'. His roommate Roberto Carlos called for the team doctor, setting in play a series of events that would rival anything that happened on the field later that night. In return, Brazil were apparently promised that they would be given a kind draw at the 2002 finals and then be allowed to host a future World Cup, which they did in 2014. Obviously it wasn't one of the best matches in my career, but I was there to fulfil my role. (CNN)It's one of the great mysteries of our time: not the Loch Ness Monster, Stonehenge or the Lost City of Atlantis; it's the case of the missing striker -- not so much a whodunit, more a kind of a what the heck happened? Ronaldo ended France98 with the Golden Ball a trophy given to the best player at the tournament but he and Brazilmissed out on the main prize amid one of the strangest subplots in World Cup history. Congressman: Was Ronaldo hitting out or shaking?, Edmundo: Lying down and hitting himself with his hands like this (demonstrates), with his teeth, Edmundo: Locked together and with his mouth foaming., Congressman: His whole body hitting itself?, Brazils capitulation at the 1998 World Cup was so shocking the countrys government opened an official investigation. I'm not feeling anything. Just hours before his shock omission from Brazil's original teamsheet, Ronaldo decided to take a nap. Even at 0 he's MARTIN KEOWN INTERVIEWS STEVE BOULD: Arsenal legend and new boss of Belgian club Lommel catches up with his What REALLY happened to Ronaldo before the 1998 World Cup Final in his own words | FourFourTwo. "I could see everyone had a strange look on their faces, in total silence, very unusual for Brazilians during finals. Goalkeeper Dida, who was a part of the Brazil squad and who won the trophy with Ronaldo four years later, told CNN that when he arrived for the pre-match dinner, the typically joyous atmosphere of the team room had evaporated. When Ronaldo woke up he had a cup of tea, and thanks to the intervention of teammate Leonardo he was told of his fit by Brazils medical staff. As far as we know, the July 12 seizure was the only one ever suffered by Ronaldo, and given a grooming process that took him to the 1994 World Cup as a 17-year-old (nevermind the four years of top-flight European football he played in the run-up to the 1998 competition) the idea that he suddenly broke down under pressure is curious to say the least. A convulsion is a sudden, violent, irregular movement of the body, caused by involuntary contraction of muscles. Dida appeared in 91 games for Brazil and he went to three World Cups; he was a squad player in '98 and '02 and played in the Seleo's run to the quarter-finals in 2006. We got up well, happy, and ready to play.". In my time it was the army generals running Brazil who tried to pick the team, remarked 1970 World Cup-winner Tostao in conversation with The Independents David Smith in August 1998. Ronaldo, widely regarded as the best striker on the planet at the time, had been left out at the expense of Fiorentina forward Edmundo. The events of July 12, 1998, were so bizarre that they will always seem like a mystery to some, but with Dida's help, Ronaldo cracked the case in 2002. Folha de S.Paulo claimed that Ronaldo had been showing signs of depression at France '98. Our capabilities go beyond HVAC ductwork fabrication, inquire about other specialty items you may need and we will be happy to try and accommodate your needs. Ronaldo told the commission that he had felt healthy enough to play in the final, but refused to discuss terms of his contract with Nike as he said the information wasconfidential. 'It's a huge power. The goalkeeper's recipe for success? Whatever happened ahead of the match, what followed was a sort of awakening to the intersect of football, money and power. That was the magnitude of the bombshell that landed on the Stade de France that summer's evening, 22 years ago. One of those doctorsJoaquia Da Matalater admitted to The Independent that he had never seen a player experiencing convulsions. Big Rom's too big! Then Ronaldo went to sleep, and the team doctors agreed to avoid telling him what had happened. Was the first team sheet a mistake? Despite Ronaldo insisting that he told his manager he was fine to play, there have been suggestions of commercial meddling. This is less a conspiracy theory than an attempt to pin the blame for Brazils failure against France on a single individual, and the doctors that treated him. Financially, Nike had a lot riding on the 1998 World Cup, and the majority of their pre-tournament marketing was based around Brazil, and Ronaldo in particular. Theory 2: Brazils Players Accepted Bribes to Throw the Match. Then I played and maybe I affected the whole team because that convulsion was certainly something very scary. And sure enough later that summer he completed a big-money move to Real Madrid, before going on to win two La Liga titles with the Spanish giants. It's not something you see every day. Despite the concerns surrounding his fitness, Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes in the final. ", 1041 Redi Mix Rd, Suite 102Little River, South Carolina 29566, Website Design, Lead Generation and Marketing by MB Buzz | Powered by Myrtle Beach Marketing | Privacy Policy | Terms and Condition, by 3D Metal Inc. Website Design - Lead Generation, Copyright text 2018 by 3D Metal Inc. -Designed by Thrive Themes | Powered by WordPress, Automated page speed optimizations for fast site performance, Vertical (Short-way) and Flat (Long-way) 90 degree elbows, Vertical (Short-way) and Flat (Long-way) 45 degree elbows, Website Design, Lead Generation and Marketing by MB Buzz. I was told that I wouldn't play in the World Cup final. So I think I would do the same again.. Motson says his abiding memory of the event was the absence of their players on the field for a warm-up. Conspiracy theories were rife, although unlike the claims against Nike most didn't result in court dates. A lot was expected of Ronaldo. As journalist Alex Bellos described the incident in The Guardian, Roberto Carlos shouted for help, with teammates Cesar Sampaio and Edmundo arriving quickly at the scene, the latter preventing Ronaldo from swallowing his tongue. (The above exchange was published by The Guardian in 2002, ahead of that years final in Yokohama.). And besides, why should it have?. ", The Brazilians made their way to the game without any music on the team bus, a stark indication of their concern. He said, "It was like the convulsions never happened. 'After that we went to the stadium with a message from Zagallo saying that I wouldn't play. I want to play.". Someone said 'Ronaldo is not well, he went to the hospital.'". Ronaldo, already a two-time FIFA World Player of the Year at just 21-years of age, had opened the scoring just after the restart and also converted Brazils first penalty. ', BBC commentator John Motson said live on air:'I've never had anything like this in my career', The teamsheet originally submitted before the final did not include Ronaldo as a starter. ', Ronaldo and Brazil doctor Lidio Toledo attended a press conference a day after the 1998 final. "There were people standing up and waving and asking what was going on? Edmundo, the Fiorentina marksman who had reached into Ronaldos mouth and held his tongue, was in the starting XI instead.