Ronaldo and the 1998 World Cup final

Did you know, that on the day of the 1998 World Cup final, Ronaldo had a severe fit approximately 7 hours before the match?

"Some time after lunch on the day of the final, Ronaldo suffered a severe fit while at the team hotel. His whole body convulsed violently and he began frothing at the mouth.


Roberto Carlos screamed for help which brought team-mates Edmundo and Cesar Sampaio scrambling into the room. The latter administered first aid and dislodged Ronaldo’s tongue to prevent him from swallowing it.

Ronaldo then fell asleep as the medical team arrived. Team doctor Lidio Toledo supposedly wept as he left the room, believing the situation to be potentially serious.


When Ronaldo woke up none of his team-mates told him what had happened.


However, after it became obvious that he was subdued and troubled by something, Toledo revealed all before whisking him away for neurological and cardiac tests.


When the tests came back all clear, Ronaldo was reinstated into the team at the last moment despite opposition from some team-mates."

- https://www.dreamteamfc.com/c/archives/uncategorized/165418/mystery-ronaldo-1998-world-cup/

https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/98-what-hit-ronaldo-final


Ronaldo collapses and has a fit
Cafú witnessed the convulsions which Ronaldo Nazário suffered just moments before leaving the team hotel as Brazil made their way to Stade de France to contest the 1998 World Cup final against France. "At that moment... all I could think about was losing Ronaldo for this big game. I just thought, we are going to lose our best player, the big star... He fainted, threw convulsions, but I have seen people die before my own eyes". Ronaldo played the match but was a shadow of himself in the 3-0 defeat.

In 2012 Bruno Caru, a cardiologist claimed that Ronaldo's problems were heart-related: "Ronaldo was lying down and watching a Formula 1 race. With one movement of his neck, he pressed against the carotid body, whicb is responsible for regulating cardiac rhythm and arterial pressure. His cardiac frequency suffered a drop which is why he fainted and had convulsions", he explained. - http://en.as.com/en/2017/02/10/football/1486764267_780745.html

 

Yes


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Crazy to think he was allowed to play having had a fit earlier that day, but it also explains his subdued performance. There's a good chance he would have made a big difference to that match if he was fully fit.

 

Remember it well. It was the reason they lost that final so badly. The whole Brazil team looked off after that.

 

The 1998 world cup final Ronaldo was injured along with what happened there its probably the first time money really showed its true power over footballers. The first team sheet sent out by Brazil didn't have Ronaldo on it, Nike who sponsor Brazil had at the time (and still do) the power too choose 7 players to play in games, they sent representatives into the Brazil changing rooms instantly and within 10 min Ronaldo was on the team sheet. Apparently the Brazil players where losing the * plot over the fact Nike could pretty much select the team, they also choose 5 teams Brazil had to play a year. However theres nothing they could of done because Brazil needed Nike's sponsorship

 

Yeah remember that at the time. Such a shame as he was really a shadow of himself. That must have been so weird to be playing after that happening. No wonder they were pumped.

He also got * nailed by Barthez too during the game

 

Another chance to post this

 

Just been watching his documentary. Zagallo was saying that Ronaldo said he was fit enough to play and that's why he started.

 

Apparently it wasn't just flirting, if the rumours are to be believed.

 

I remember that day very clearly, noone knew what the * was wrong but there was all sorts of speculation. It obviouslt effected Ronaldo and a few of his team mates also, who were simply not at the races in that Final v France.

 

He made up for it in 2002. What a legend. To think Brazil could have won 3 World Cups in a row had it not been for this. Special group of players.

 

He was the figurehead of the team like Messi or Portugals Ronaldo

 

They definitely were. They don't have anyone like that now, apart from Neymar.

Yeah, totally agree mate. Can't blame Ronaldo for wanting to play either.

 

C Ronaldo and Messi have not doubt been better footballers over a longer period, but when the original was on the top of his game IMO he was the greatest ever to play the game that ive seen, the way he went past goalkeepers while 1 on 1 was special.

 

I wish he'd have stayed injury free, just to see how good he could have been if he reached his full potential.

The fact that he's still considered one of the best ever, despite his injuries, tells you a lot though.

 

I remember this clearly too. Poor Edmundo was on the team sheet. Got pulled when Ronaldo was put back in. Imagine getting named in the starting 11 for a World Cup final & then getting taken out? Sick.
The initial stories the next day focused on Nike putting pressure on the management to get the star man back into the team. Whole team were sub par, but to be fair Zidane was superb on the day & that French team (apart from a proper striker) was excellent so I don't think it was a foregone conclusion.

Is that really true about Nikes ability to pick 7 of the starting 11 in Brazil. I find it quite hard to believe.

 

When I was reading about it, there seems to be a lot of people that were of the opinion that Nike were, at the very least, putting a lot of pressure on the Brazilian FA to play the stars. With the amount of money they invested, it wouldn't surprise me to think they got a say in it.

 

The photo of him with the boots hanging around his neck, seemed deliberate to me too.