On July 12, 1998, the most significant event in the history of football took place. Imagine the quarter-finals of the '86 World Cup without Diego Maradona, Game 5 of the NBA Finals in '97 without Michael Jordan, the Eurovision Song Contest in '98 without Dana Take all these together, and you won't be able to understand the size of the bomb that landed an hour before the start of the World Cup final between Brazil and France, when Ronaldo's name was omitted from the lineup page.
To understand why this is a "bomb", one must first understand who Ronaldo was in '98.
People 60 and under didn't get to see Pele in his prime.
On the other hand, those 30 and under have not been blessed with the pleasure called watching Ronaldo - the original!
- at its peak.
At the age of 21, he was the best and scariest player in the world, on his way to becoming perhaps the greatest in history.
The World Cup in France was supposed to be the seal for that.
One goal in the group stage, a 4-1 draw against Chile in the round of 16, an important goal in the semi-final against the Netherlands (1:1), and also the ability to stand up to pressure and score the first penalty in the decisive shootout on the way to the grand final.
Ronaldo was 1.83 meters of a rare combination of strength, ability and composure.
Ronaldo in '98.
An unforgettable night, photo: Reuters
The final day was like every day in the Brazilian team - only more stressful.
However, the atmosphere in the camp was light with a South American flavor.
After a good meal and some good jokes, everyone went up to their rooms to take a nap.
Ronaldo also went to bed and fell asleep.
When he wakes up - the history of football will be rewritten.
Roberto Carlos, his roommate, said in retrospect that in the days before the final, Ronaldo became depressed and cried a lot.
On the day of the final, they both fell asleep at noon, until the defender suddenly woke up to the sound of a huge "boom".
The spectacle that unfolded before his eyes was particularly startling: Ronaldo convulsed uncontrollably and fell from the bed in what appeared to be an epileptic fit, hitting his head on the floor forcefully several times.
His teeth locked and white foam filled his mouth.
The helpless Roberto Carlos came out in a panic and called for help.
Among the first to arrive was Cesar Sampaio, who approached the unconscious Ronaldo, bared his teeth and held his tongue so he wouldn't swallow it.
Ronaldo.
He went to take a nap before the World Cup final against France in 1998,
"The first thing I remember after I went to sleep is that I woke up surrounded by the players and the team's doctor, Dr. Lydio Toledo," Ronaldo said. "I asked if they could please go and talk somewhere else, because I really wanted to sleep." They didn't let him sleep, they were afraid . Leonardo, one of the oldest in the squad and the more authoritative figures, took Ronaldo for a walk and explained to him what had happened. When he returned, Leonardo told his friends: "The guy is not well.
He looks strange, as if on a cloud.
If he plays - he's going to die on the field."
The time for the opening whistle was getting closer.
Ronaldo went with Dr. Toledo to the hospital for further tests, while the rest of the team tried to gather themselves. Meanwhile, all his tests came back normal. "It was as if nothing had happened," Ronaldo said of that day. He must play.
The striker rushed to the Stade de France, and meanwhile the coach Mario Zagallo already understood that he had to find an alternative.
In the published lineup, Edmundo is included.
A few minutes later, when Ronaldo arrived in the dressing room about an hour before the opening whistle, everyone looked at him as white as lime.
"You can't play, kid," Zagalo told the 21-year-old striker.
"I'm not a boy," answered Ronaldo, who made it very clear in a short conversation that he can play - and he's going to play.
And this is where the speculations and conspiracies come in.
They tried to guess what caused the collapse.
They claimed he had an upset stomach, or was poisoned on a romantic basis together with his partner.
Other opinions spoke of great pressure, or perhaps the result of a painkiller injection he received in his knee.
All these do not come close to the stories that ran around his sharing.
The most famous conspiracy of all was around the secret adoption contract between Nike and the Brazilian national team that pressured them to share it.
Others explained that it was due to pressure from FIFA, which was not ready to give up Ronaldo at his peak, along with a future agreement that was also related to hosting the World Cup in 2014.
Bottom line, it was a human decision.
of Zagalo, under the pressure of Ronaldo, who looked him in the eyes and explained to him that he could play.
A new vehicle was printed;
Edumando went to the bench, and Ronaldo in the 11th.
As soon as the national teams entered the field, something different could be felt.
Ronaldo's sharpness is gone.
Walking from the players' tunnel to standing in the anthem row, it seems that Leonardo is literally carrying Ronaldo with him and even raises his hand for him as a greeting to the crowd, while it doesn't fully understand what is happening.
At the start of the game, Ronaldo looked like a floating spirit for some episodes.
Slow, unfocused, imprecise.
Ronaldo in 2002.
Top scorer in South Korea, photo: AP
In the 27th minute, Ronaldo was placed in defense in the box during a corner.
Some Brazilians reserved regionally, some personally.
Ronaldo?
He just stood there in the middle, with only Zidane in front of him at the edge of the box.
Ronaldo was supposed to close him down, but the French star started running forward and Ronaldo froze in place.
Watching the ball in flight, even staring.
daydreaming.
Didn't notice that Zidane had already scored the 0:1.
In the second goal as well, it was Ronaldo who missed the ball with his head before Zidane's shot, which made it 0:2 in the corner.
In the end, France defeated Brazil 0:3.
"I may have had a negative impact on the team because some saw the convulsion with their own eyes and it was scary," said Ronaldo, "but I had a commitment to my country. I felt I could play."
That's right, he could play.
But he couldn't be "Ronaldo".
This is probably the most mysterious story in the history of the World Cup, and certainly one of the most influential in sports.
"Butterfly effect" which was one of the significant factors in psychological treatment for athletes.
One cannot help but wonder how the game would have ended if we had received Ronaldo at his peak.
Now imagine all of this, if it weren't for Ronaldo's snazz.
"While you slept" - a chapter from Sharon Davidovich's new book "Wonders of the World Cup", which ranks the 50 greatest moments in the history of the World Cup. in all bookstores
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