Brazil Home World Cup 1998

Brazil Home World Cup 1998
Entering the 1998 World Cup as defending champions, Brazil finished runner-up. Having topped their group and won the next two rounds, Brazil beat the Netherlands on penalties in the semi-final following a 1–1 draw. Player of the tournament Ronaldo scored four goals and made three assists en route to the final. The build up to the final itself was overshadowed by Ronaldo suffering a convulsive fit only hours before kick off. The starting line up without Ronaldo was released to a shocked world media, but after pleading that he felt fine and requested to play, Ronaldo was reinstated by the coach, before giving a below par performance as France, led by Zidane won 3–0.

Ronaldo’s Tournement
Ronaldo entered the 1998 FIFA World Cup billed as the world’s greatest player by reporters in the sport. Jacob Steinberg of The Guardian writes, “In 1998, no one was as ferociously talented as Ronaldo, whose supernatural mixture of power, pace and skill had made him the player every child in the playground wanted to be; at the age of 21, the hopes and dreams of a nation rested on his shoulders.”

Ronaldo scored four goals and made three assists en route to the final. Scoring once and assisting Bebeto’s goal in a 3–0 win against Morocco in the team’s second group stage match. While also netting twice in a 4–1 win against Chile in the round of 16. And he set–up two goals in Brazil’s 3–2 victory over Denmark in the quarter-finals. He scored once in the 1–1 draw against the Netherlands in the semi-finals. While also netting Brazil’s first penalty in the 4–2 shoot–out victory.

Hours before the final against France, Ronaldo suffered a convulsive fit. At first, he was removed from the starting lineup 72 minutes before the match, and the team sheet (with Edmundo as his replacement) was submitted to the FIFA delegate.The starting line up without Ronaldo was released to a stunned world media. The BBC’s John Motson stated, “The scenes in the commentary box have been absolute mayhem and chaos.” However, shortly before kick off, after pleading that he felt fine and requested to play, Ronaldo was reinstated by Brazil coach Mário Zagallo.

Stade de France, where Ronaldo performed in the 1998 World Cup Final despite suffering a convulsive fit six hours before kick off. Ronaldo was the last Brazilian player out of the tunnel as the teams entered the field. During the playing of the Brazil national anthem the camera focused on him throughout, with Ronaldo showing little emotion. Steinberg states that Ronaldo “sleepwalked” through the final. Which also saw him injured in a collision with French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez. Zagallo admitted the fears over Ronaldo affected his team psychologically. And later stated “for the whole of the first half I was wondering whether to take him off”. But he feared a public outcry in Brazil had he done so. Brazil lost the match to hosts France 3–0. Ronaldo later reflected: “We lost the World Cup but I won another cup – my life.”

Team doctor Lídio Toledo telling the commission his side of the story. “Imagine if I stopped Ronaldo playing and Brazil lost. At that moment I’d have to go and live on the North Pole.”

Adrian Williams, professor of clinical neurology at Birmingham University, said that Ronaldo should not have played. That he would have been feeling the after effects of the seizure. “There is no way that he would have been able to perform to the best of his ability within 24 hours of his first fit – if it was his first fit.”

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