Awwal 11, 1432 H/Feb 14, 2011, SPA -- Ronaldo, whose 15 World Cup goals for Brazil represent the all-time record, said Monday he was retiring from soccer, according to UPI. Ronaldo, 34, helped Brazil to World Cup titles in 1994 and 2002. He scored eight goals in the 2002 tournament, including both goals in the 2-0 Brazilian victory over Germany in the final. In 97 international matches, Ronaldo scored 62 goals. He was voted the FIFA World Player of the Year three times -- 1997, 1997 and 2002. His 18-year professional career, which included playing for teams such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan and Inter Milan, covered 466 games. He had a total of 326 goals as a professional. "[There were] a lot of defeats and a lot of victories," Ronaldo said Monday. "I made a lot of friends and I can't recall any enemies. I'm ending my career due to some very important reasons." Ronaldo had been playing in the club level in Brazil since 2009 but has reportedly had trouble keeping in match shape and was the target of fan criticism.
