Soccer Legend Ronaldo Severs Tendon In Right Knee, Likely Headed to Retirement

Some sports players never achieve the glory they may have been otherwise destined to, due to an untimely injury or three. For soccer great Ronaldo this will never be a problem, as his legend has already been cemented before he injured his right knee yet again on Wednesday. Playing for AC Milan, Ronaldo injured his right knee on Wednesday as he collapsed to the turf, and was immediately rushed to an area hospital, where tests quickly revealed that he had completely severed the tendon in his right knee. Ronaldo and former Real Madrid teammate Zinedine Zidane are the only two men to have won the FIFA World Player of the Year award three times (1996, 1997, 2002). Having been recognized at the age of 14 as a talented player, Ronaldo quickly earned the nickname 'El Fenomeno (The Phenomenon),' and was one of the sports greatest players and most recognizable figures for most of the past two decades.

Ronaldo ruptured the tendon in the same knee on November 21 1999, and required surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation. In his first game back on April 12 2000, he re-injured the same knee a second time. After two more operations and 20 months of rehabilitation, Ronaldo seemed ready to return to form, and marked his return by helping Brazil win their 5th World Cup in 2002, and was later named the World Player of the Year in 2002.

The most recent setback will likely sideline the 31-year old Ronaldo for good, as he was already rumored to be considering retirement before this season. He will be remebered as one of, if not the greatest, forwards of all time.