Editing Ronaldo (Brazilian footballer) (section)

====2002–2005: Ballon d'Or win and La Liga championship====
[[File:Ronaldo em campo.jpg|thumb|upright|Ronaldo won [[La Liga]] in his first season and received the [[Pichichi Trophy]] in his second.]]

Having signed for [[Real Madrid C.F.|Real Madrid]] [[List of most expensive association football transfers|for €46&nbsp;million]], his jersey sales broke all records on the first day.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Crocitti |first1=John C. |title=Brazil Today: An Encyclopedia of Life in the Republic, Volume 2 |date= 2012|publisher=ABC-CLIO}}</ref> Ronaldo was part of the ''[[Galácticos]]'' era of global stars signed by the club every summer, which included [[Zinedine Zidane]], [[Luís Figo]], [[Roberto Carlos]] and [[David Beckham]].<ref>{{cite web|title = 2001&nbsp;– present&nbsp;— Real Madrid surpasses the century mark|url = http://www.realmadrid.com/en/about-real-madrid/history/football/2001-2010-the-ninth-with-zidane-beckham-ronaldo-and-figo|publisher = Realmadrid.com|access-date = 12 July 2008|archive-date = 22 November 2019|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191122115453/https://www.realmadrid.com/en/about-real-madrid/history/football/2001-2010-the-ninth-with-zidane-beckham-ronaldo-and-figo|url-status = live}}</ref> He was sidelined through injury until October 2002 which further fuelled fan anticipation.<ref name="Real debut"/> Ronaldo scored twice on his debut against [[Deportivo Alavés|Alavés]], the first 61 seconds after coming on.<ref name="Real debut">{{cite news |title=Ronaldo scores on his first date |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/oct/07/europeanfootball.sport2 |date=7 October 2002 |access-date=29 August 2018 |work=The Guardian |archive-date=30 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180830005304/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/oct/07/europeanfootball.sport2 |url-status=live }}</ref> That same reception was observed at the final game of the season against [[Athletic Bilbao]], where Ronaldo scored to finish his first season with 23 league goals and seal [[La Liga]] title for 2003.<ref name="FIFA Profile">{{cite news|date=4 April 2012|title=Ronaldo, a phenomenon in every sense|work=[[FIFA]]|url=https://www.fifa.com/news/y=2012/m=4/news=ronaldo-phenomenon-every-sense-1611048.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908083212/http://www.fifa.com/news/y=2012/m=4/news=ronaldo-phenomenon-every-sense-1611048.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 September 2015|access-date=19 September 2015}}</ref> He also won an [[2002 Intercontinental Cup|Intercontinental Cup]] in 2002 and [[Supercopa de España]] in 2003, scoring in both finals.<ref name="FIFA Profile"/>

In the second leg of Real Madrid's Champions League quarter-final, Ronaldo [[List of UEFA Champions League hat-tricks|scored a hat-trick]] against [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] at [[Old Trafford]], knocking the English team out of the competition.<ref name="RonaldoMU">{{cite news |title=Ronaldo ends Man Utd dream |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/champions_league/2965089.stm |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=23 April 2003 |access-date=25 May 2012 |archive-date=14 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414051440/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/champions_league/2965089.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Completing his hat-trick with a swerving strike from 30 yards, Ronaldo was substituted off after 67 minutes, and was given a standing ovation from both sets of fans.<ref name="Lit up"/><ref name="RonaldoMU"/> Reflecting on the ovation given to him from the oppositions' fans, Ronaldo stated that "it remains a very beautiful, very special moment".<ref name="Edworthy"/> Manchester United defender [[Wes Brown]] commented: "He was just unstoppable. A young Ronaldo [before a series of injuries] would have been even more dangerous, but it shows how good a player he was. Whenever he wanted to turn it on he could, on any stage, in any stadium".<ref name="Lit up">{{cite web |last1=Jackson |first1=Jamie |last2=Lowe |first2=Sid |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/apr/23/a-player-above-millions-the-night-brazilian-ronaldo-lit-up-old-trafford |title='A player above millions of others' – the night Ronaldo lit up Old Trafford |date=23 April 2020 |access-date=19 June 2021 |work=The Guardian |archive-date=24 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624201212/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/apr/23/a-player-above-millions-the-night-brazilian-ronaldo-lit-up-old-trafford |url-status=live }}</ref> Ronaldo scored in a 2–1 home win over [[Juventus FC|Juventus]] in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals, but injury crucially kept him out of most of the second leg defeat where Real were eliminated.<ref name="Real CNN">{{cite news |title=Ronaldo finally proves consistency |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2003/SPORT/football/12/15/ronaldo.profile.reut/ |access-date=4 September 2018 |agency=CNN |archive-date=4 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904154105/http://edition.cnn.com/2003/SPORT/football/12/15/ronaldo.profile.reut/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the [[2003–04 La Liga|2003–04 season]], Madrid were on track to win the treble, until Ronaldo was injured towards the end of the season; they subsequently lost the Copa del Rey final, were knocked out of the [[UEFA Champions League]] quarter-finals to [[AS Monaco FC|Monaco]], and suffered a league form breakdown.<ref>{{cite news |title=Real Madrid 2–3 Real Zaragoza |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2004/mar/18/newsstory.sport3 |work=The Guardian |date=18 March 2004 |access-date=25 May 2012 |archive-date=3 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140103235751/http://www.theguardian.com/football/2004/mar/18/newsstory.sport3 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Monaco 3 - 1 Real Madrid (Agg: 5-5; Monaco go through on away goals) |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2004/apr/07/match.championsleague1 |access-date=4 September 2018 |work=The Guardian |archive-date=4 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904225723/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2004/apr/07/match.championsleague1 |url-status=live }}</ref> During that second season at the club, Ronaldo scored [[List of Real Madrid C.F. records and statistics|one of the fastest goals in the club's history]] when he netted after 15 seconds in a league match against [[Atlético Madrid]] at the Bernabéu on 3 December 2003.<ref>{{Cite news| title = Quickfire Ronaldo proves Real hero| url = http://edition.cnn.com/2003/SPORT/football/12/03/spain.real/| publisher = CNN.com| access-date = 7 December 2008| date = 3 December 2003| archive-date = 14 October 2018| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181014141858/http://edition.cnn.com/2003/SPORT/football/12/03/spain.real/| url-status = live}}</ref> Three days later he helped to ensure Real's first league victory over Barcelona at the [[Nou Camp]] in 20 years when he scored the second goal in a 2–1 victory over his former club.<ref name="Real CNN" /> He finished the season as La Liga's top scorer with 25 goals and received the [[Pichichi Trophy]] for a second time, despite Madrid losing the league title to [[Valencia CF|Valencia]].<ref name="RSSSF2" />