Ronaldo, Brazil football superstar, ends career

SAO PAULO – Three-time FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldo, whose goalscoring genius led Brazil to the 2002 World Cup title, confirmed his retirement on Monday at the age of 34.

The tearful Corinthians striker announced his decision at a press conference in Sao Paulo, saying that although leaving football felt like “death,” his body could no longer match the demands he was putting on it.

“I’m stopping my career as a professional footballer,” he said, his voice breaking. “It’s been a beautiful, emotional, marvelous career.

“These last two years, I’ve had a long series of injuries, from one side to the other, one leg to the other, one muscle to the other. The pain pushed me to think about the end of my career.”

Ronaldo also revealed that he suffered from a thyroid problem that had made it difficult to control his weight.

“Four years ago, in Milan, I discovered that I suffered from an under-active thyroid that slowed down my metabolism and that to control it, I had to take hormones that weren’t authorized in football as they were considered a form of doping,” he said.

“Lots of people must regret having made jokes about my weight. But I feel no anger towards anyone.”

Having earlier indicated that he hoped to play on until the end of the year, injuries and Corinthians’ early elimination from the Copa Libertadores prompted him to bring forward his retirement.

“These pains made me bring forward the end of my career,” he said.

He made the decision last Thursday, explaining: “When I decided, I felt like I was in intensive care, in a terminal condition. This announcement is like my first death. It’s very difficult to give up something that makes you so happy, has such a grip on you, and gives you such love.”

During a glittering 14-year spell in Europe, Ronaldo scored goals at a prolific rate for PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan, before returning to Brazil in 2009.