Future parents take notice: If you have a son and name him “Ronaldo”, you will have automatically increased his chances of him becoming a talented football (soccer, for people in the USA) player. A common Portuguese name, the world has seen “Ronaldos” creep up from Brazil and Portugal.

First, the Brazilian striker, Ronaldo, now 32 years old, who won the FIFA World Player of the Year not once, not twice, but three times! Since 1994, Ronaldo has played 97 games with the Brazilian national team, scoring 62 goals. He won the FIFA World Cup in 1994, reached the World Cup Finals against France in 1998 (Brazil lost), then won the FIFA World Cup again in 2002. Out of his prime, Ronaldo is still remembered for his great abilities and memorable goals.

Brazil also produced Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, called Ronaldinho to distinguish him from the other Ronaldo. Only 3 years younger than the other Ronaldo, Ronaldinho captivated people world wide with his flashy dribbling skills as an attacking midfielder. His moves and tricks he performed on opponents made him shine in the football club, Barcelona (one of the greatest teams in the world). He, consequently, won the FIFA World Player of Year twice, and won pretty much every tournament there was to win with Barcelona, including a UEFA Champions League (The most coveted cup a European Club can win) in 2006. Appearing to be losing his edge, he was sold to the Italian team Milan and currently plays there.

Currently, there is a young Ronaldo, a winger of only 24 years of age, no doubt the best football player in the world at the moment. Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born on February 5, 1985 in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal. Yes, this Ronaldo is from Portugal not Brazil, but the way he plays… it is out of this world, no joke. His speed, his dribbling abilities, his way of scoring goals or giving the perfect pass make him a feared opponent of defenders everywhere, as he usually makes them look foolish in their efforts to stop him. Acquired in 2003 by Manchester United of the English Premier League, Ronaldo rose to fame with his otherworldly style of play. He helped Manchester United win 3 league titles in a row- ’06-’07, ’07-’08, and ’08-’09, as well as winning the 2008 UEFA Champions League. C. Ronaldo won the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year, and is one of the highest paid athletes in the world. In the year he was awarded the award, he had scored 42 Goals in 49 games, against some of the best opposition in the world. Ronaldo is also a pretty boy who enjoys dating a new model every week and driving exotic vehicles. He is a cocky little rooster, but I forgive him because I really like the way he plays. Superior genetics are so not fair, err… I mean the name. Today, on June 11, 2009, the best team in the world (according to its history, achievements, and capital): Real Madrid of Spain bought Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United in what is known as the most expensive transaction in the history of football. In an effort to regroup and compete with archrival Barcelona (this year’s UEFA Champions League winners) and their incredible player, Lionel Messi, Los Blancos (as they are called) opened up their wallet and first bought the great Brazilian footballer, Kaka, for about 68 million Euros (that’s a lot of money). Today, they bought C. Ronaldo for an unheard of 80 million pounds (that’s even more money- about 133 million dollars). So, yeah, it doesn’t hurt to name a son “Ronaldo”, think of it as an investment! Go Real Madrid!