It always takes a big man to step up and make a difference and in Germany, where the 2006 World Cup finals are taking place, there is no one bigger than 90.5kg Brazil striker Ronaldo to break individual records. "El Gordo" or "the fat one", as he is nicknamed by his Real Madrid teammates, has managed to break a World Cup record which has stood for 32 years…that of the all-time top scorer. Ronaldo's strike against Ghana in the 2006 World Cup second round match against Ghana marked his 15th goal in the finals, surpassing West German ace Gerd 'Der Bomber' Mueller, who held the record since 1974. The 29-year-old striker has come under heavy weather from critics who accused him of being overweight, an issue that even troubled Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. "Ronaldo is fat or isn't he?" President da Silva asked during a video conference with the Brazilian team on the eve of the tournament. Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira defended Ronaldo saying: "He's strong, Mr President. The structure of his body has changed, he's no longer that thin boy from 1994." Ronaldo's World Cup preparations were also tainted by blisters on his feet and a sinus infection. Coach Parreira ignored all his criticizers and surrounding circumstances and started Ronaldo in Brazil's first two games against Croatia and Australia, but the player once known as "the Phenomenon" failed to impress. The three-time FIFA Player of the Year came under heavy criticism back home, but coach Parreira remained undeterred despite Ronaldo's lackluster and sluggish performances. He even fielded a line-up dedicated to help Ronaldo find the net against Japan in the final group stage match. Apparently, Parreira's efforts and the continuous slamming from the media and sports figureheads like Pele and Michel Platini induced his appetite, for scoring that is. The former Inter Milan and Barcelona ace found the net with a splendid header and a powerful drive in Brazil's 4-1 drubbing of Japan to surpass compatriot Pele Frenchman Just Fontaine and tie Mueller's mark.
Parreira's faith in Ronaldo paid off After that, it was just a matter of time before Ronaldo snapped the record, and the two-time European Footballer of the Year did not disappoint. All it took was his nifty trademark step-over move to elude Ghanaian goalkeeper Richard Kingson and notch home a milestone before being hogged by his exhilarated teammates. "We never had any doubts about Ronaldo," Parreira told reporters after the game. "He is a special player and a player for the big occasion." Even the dethroned Mueller dished out praise for the full-blown talisman. "Brazil need Ronaldo," he said. "In my opinion, he's the best, most complete attacker there is at the moment." "Playing at such a high level over such a long period of time, always managing to be fit at the right moment is unusual nowadays." Nevertheless, Ronaldo's criticizers remain plenty, and his ability to guide the Seleção to their sixth World Cup title will remain under scrutiny. Big man Ronaldo remains confident in his skill and scoring abilities and hopeful that he can guide Brazil to more success. "How do you make history?" said Ronaldo in the post-game conference. "It takes a lot of hard work, it's not easy. "You need to make a lot of sacrifices and put in a lot of hard graft. This is the reward for my efforts over a number of years. "I want more, more, more! I want to keep scoring goals because I've still got plenty more to give," a hungry Ronaldo insisted.
