Almost nine years ago, Brazil stopped to see their favorite event in the world. All our eyes were in Japan and I remember like it was yesterday. We got together with friends and family that morning, all excited to see our heart on the field. Victory was close and we could feel it. I was about ten years old. World Cup 2002 was pretty awkward, really. We needed to wake up at 3 am to watch the games, but not even our tired bodies could stop us from supporting our team. And then, the day had arrived. It was super cold and I remember our happiness about watching another World Cup final was something I still can’t describe.
So, it finally started.
The fear dominated our minds, of course. Germany wasn’t the easiest team to beat. They were there and we were sure they fought as much as we did to get to the finals. God, how much Oliver Kahn scared us. He was a huge wall, making our way to the fifth title almost an impossible goal. Well, but the end everybody knows. And this is why I’m writing this post right now. I think that, in my life, I’ve never been happier and never screamed some player’s name like I did. Ronaldo made all our expectations come true. He took a nation to go insane and celebrate on the streets. He got everybody together to one of our most beloved sports. And why do I remember so much about him? Because he was the one who made us believe it was possible. Brazil NT lived an incredible day. Of course it wasn’t only because of him, because a player never works alone… But I know every Brazil NT fan knows what I’m talking about.
So today he leave us. The last match with our colors, with our five starts on the chest. I think I don’t need to say he’s already in history. Football will never forget his name. His last years as a player weren’t easy and we know it. But today’s the day we will only remember the best memories. Ronaldo helped building almost 190 million dreams. He’s our hero, he’s our eternal number nine.