Editing Ronaldo (Brazilian footballer) (section)

===2002 FIFA World Cup===
[[File:Ronaldo 2002 cropped.jpg|thumb|upright|Ronaldo on 29 June 2002, hours before the [[2002 FIFA World Cup Final|2002 World Cup Final]]]]
Prior to the [[2002 FIFA World Cup]], Ronaldo had barely played since rupturing the cruciate ligament in his right knee in April 2000, and he missed Brazil's entire qualification campaign where, in his absence, the team had been poor.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/63432094|title=Ronaldo: The road to redemption with Brazil at the 2002 World Cup|date=14 November 2022|work=BBC Sport|access-date=16 November 2022|archive-date=16 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221116025223/https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/63432094|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[Tim Vickery]] writes, "Without Ronaldo, Brazil were a shambles, fortunate even to get to the tournament. With him, it was a different story."<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/legacy/timvickery/2010/10/can_ronaldo_prove_us_wrong_aga.html "Can Ronaldo prove us wrong again?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20140522164304/http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/legacy/timvickery/2010/10/can_ronaldo_prove_us_wrong_aga.html |date=22 May 2014 }}. BBC. Retrieved 22 May 2014</ref> In a remarkable comeback from injury that had threatened his career, Ronaldo led Brazil to their record fifth World Cup title, receiving the [[FIFA World Cup Golden Boot|Golden Boot]] as top scorer with eight goals.<ref name="Redemption">[https://web.archive.org/web/20131220184753/http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/worldcup/koreajapan2002/index.html "Redemption for Ronaldo as world's eyes turn east"]. FIFA.com. Retrieved 22 May 2014</ref> Many publications regarded his personal triumph as "redemption" for what occurred at the previous World Cup.<ref name="Amy"/><ref name="Redemption"/><ref name="Hayward">{{cite news |last1=Hayward |first1=Paul |title=Redemption sweet for Ronaldo |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/3030316/Redemption-sweet-for-Ronaldo.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/3030316/Redemption-sweet-for-Ronaldo.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=5 September 2018 |work=The Telegraph |date=30 June 2002}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Ronaldo's 2002 World Cup redemption... according to him: "In that moment, I felt complete" |url=https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/ronaldos-2002-world-cup-redemption-according-him-moment-i-felt-complete?page=0%2C1 |access-date=5 September 2018 |work=FourFourTwo |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180906052529/https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/ronaldos-2002-world-cup-redemption-according-him-moment-i-felt-complete?page=0%2C1 |archive-date=6 September 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Ronaldo spoke about his obsession with lifting the [[FIFA World Cup Trophy|World Cup trophy]], having missed out in 1998. "I used to visualise the trophy in front of my eyes and imagine what a wonderful feeling it must be to hold it up in the air. It was a fabulous feeling actually to hold it in my hands and kiss it."<ref name="Trophy"/> Dubbed the "three R's", Ronaldo starred in a formidable attack alongside [[Rivaldo]] and [[Ronaldinho]], and the trio were named in the [[FIFA World Cup All-Star Team]].<ref name="Amy"/><ref name="All star">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/worldcup2002/hi/other_news/newsid_2071000/2071344.stm "Campbell makes All-Star team"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190624165146/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/worldcup2002/hi/other_news/newsid_2071000/2071344.stm |date=24 June 2019 }}. BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 November 2013</ref>

Ronaldo scored against every opponent in the tournament except in the quarter-finals against [[England national football team|England]].<ref>{{cite news |title=World Cup 2014 countdown: Ronaldo's comeback at the 2002 World Cup |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/international/world-cup-2014-countdown-ronaldos-comeback-at-the-2002-world-cup-9206261.html |access-date=5 September 2018 |work=The Independent |archive-date=6 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180906091842/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/international/world-cup-2014-countdown-ronaldos-comeback-at-the-2002-world-cup-9206261.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The match-winner against [[Turkey national football team|Turkey]] in the semi-final, with the winning goal a [[Toe punt|toe-poke finish]] with little back-lift while on the run – a finish he learned while playing futsal in his youth – the final whistle saw fans behind the goal hoist huge white letters to spell out his name, akin to the [[Hollywood Sign]].<ref name="Amy">{{cite news |last1=Lawrence |first1=Amy |title=Ronaldo's redemption: recalling the Brazil striker's World Cup fairytale 15 years on |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/jun/29/ronaldo-brazil-world-cup-final-2002-japan |date=29 June 2017 |access-date=30 August 2018 |work=The Guardian |archive-date=31 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180831072035/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/jun/29/ronaldo-brazil-world-cup-final-2002-japan |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Ronaldo's Redemption: 2002 World Cup documentary |url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN99b8SJYI8 | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211028/ZN99b8SJYI8| archive-date=28 October 2021|website=YouTube | date=27 March 2018 |publisher=FourFourTwo |access-date=25 September 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Much attention was on his haircut – in which his head was shaved except the forelock – done as a deliberate distraction to shift media attention away from a leg injury. He revealed that "when I arrived in training with this haircut everybody stopped talking about the injury".<ref>{{cite news |title=Ronaldo reveals the real reason for his wedge haircut at the 2002 World Cup |url=https://www.foxsports.com/soccer/story/ronaldo-reveals-the-real-reason-for-his-wedge-haircut-at-the-2002-world-cup-022017 |access-date=2 September 2018 |agency=Fox Sports |archive-date=3 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180903050017/https://www.foxsports.com/soccer/story/ronaldo-reveals-the-real-reason-for-his-wedge-haircut-at-the-2002-world-cup-022017 |url-status=live }}</ref> In the [[2002 FIFA World Cup Final|final]] against [[Germany national football team|Germany]] in [[Yokohama]], Japan, Ronaldo scored twice in Brazil's 2–0 win and tied [[Pelé]]'s Brazilian record of 12 career World Cup goals.<ref name="nytimes_applause">{{cite news |title=Ronaldo's Sweetest Vindication |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/01/sports/soccer-ronaldo-s-sweetest-vindication.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=1 July 2002 |access-date=22 May 2010 |first=Jere |last=Longman |archive-date=1 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501071146/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/01/sports/soccer-ronaldo-s-sweetest-vindication.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Ronaldo was the first player to seek out German players to offer his condolences,<ref name="Hayward"/> before he was congratulated by Pelé when receiving his World Cup winners medal.<ref>[http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/football-2002-fifa-world-cup-final-yokohama-japan-30th-june-news-photo/78976001 "FIFA World Cup Final. Yokohama, Japan. 30th June 2002. Brazil's Ronaldo greets Pele after receiving his winners medal."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612185925/https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/football-2002-fifa-world-cup-final-yokohama-japan-30th-june-news-photo/78976001 |date=12 June 2018 }}. Getty Images. Retrieved 22 May 2014</ref> Gérard Saillant, the French surgeon who operated on Ronaldo's knee, was in the crowd as his guest, and stated after the game; "This gives hope to everyone who is injured, even those who aren't sportsmen, to see that by fighting you can make it. He's back to where he was; it's hugely satisfying and I am very moved."<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/jul/01/worldcupfootball2002.sport3 "Free of demons and back in land of the living"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190714161932/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/jul/01/worldcupfootball2002.sport3 |date=14 July 2019 }}. The Guardian. Retrieved 22 May 2014</ref>

Ronaldo received a number of accolades for his achievement, including the [[Laureus World Sports Award for Comeback of the Year]] and the [[BBC Sports Personality World Sport Star of the Year|BBC World Sport Star of the Year]], and in December 2002 he dedicated his third [[FIFA World Player of the Year]] award to the medical team which helped him recover.<ref>[http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/news/2002/12/17/fifa_honors/ "Ronaldo wins world player award for third time"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140522212901/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/news/2002/12/17/fifa_honors/ |date=22 May 2014 }}. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 22 May 2014</ref><ref name="WC Comeback">{{cite web |url=http://laureus17.laureus.com/awards-history/2003/nominees/comeback/ |title=Laureus World Comeback of the Year 2003 nominees |publisher=Laureus |access-date=21 October 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171023102714/http://laureus17.laureus.com/awards-history/2003/nominees/comeback/ |archive-date=23 October 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Ronaldo tipped to claim hat-trick |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/3039549/Ronaldo-tipped-to-claim-hat-trick.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/3039549/Ronaldo-tipped-to-claim-hat-trick.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=4 September 2018 |work=The Telegraph}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In a 2017 interview with [[Fox Sports]], Ronaldo stated, "the best team I played in was the Brazilian one in 2002, we felt that we could always score. It was a team without any vanity, or individuals. The collective was important."<ref>{{cite news |title=Ronaldo: "I didn't want to leave Real Madrid" |url=https://en.as.com/en/2017/05/28/football/1495962462_051421.html |access-date=31 July 2018 |agency=As |archive-date=1 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801024232/https://en.as.com/en/2017/05/28/football/1495962462_051421.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>