Former Real Madrid and Barcelona striker Ronaldo has reassured fans that he is well after a pneumonia scare over the weekend.
Ronaldo was rushed to hospital on Friday while on holiday in Ibiza, before moving to intensive care unit of a private clinic.
However, he tweeted: “Friends, I had a very nasty bout of flu in Ibiza and had to be hospitalised on Friday, but everything is in order now.
“Tomorrow I’ll be discharged and return home. Thank you all for your love and messages!”
The Brazilian World Cup winner, who turns 42 next month, memorably scored 47 goals in 49 appearances for Barca during the 1996-97 campaign, winning a Supercopa, Cup Winners’ Cup and Copa del Rey in his sole season at Camp Nou.
No player scored more than 30 goals in a Liga campaign other than him between 1997 and 2009, until Diego Forlan bagged 32 for Atletico Madrid.
He was also part of Madrid’s Galacticos team who won two League titles between 2002 and 2007, netting 104 times in 177 games for Los Blancos.
Ronaldo is regarded by many in the sport as one of the greatest and most complete forwards of all time. Dubbed Il Fenomeno (the phenomenon), he was a prolific goalscorer, and despite being more of an individualistic attacker, he was also capable of providing assists for his teammates, due to his vision, passing and crossing ability. He was an extremely powerful, fast, and technical player, as well as being a composed finisher.
He was capable of playing in several offensive positions, although his preferred role was that of a striker,and he was able to use both feet, despite being naturally right footed. Ronaldo was highly regarded for his technical ability, and he is considered one of the most skilful individual dribblers in the game.
Along with Brazilian compatriot Romário and Liberian star George Weah, Ronaldo was seen as a new breed of striker in the 1990s who would also operate outside the penalty area before running with the ball towards goal: Ronaldo was frequently capable of beating several players when undergoing individual dribbling runs at speed, and he was also equally competent in one on one situations, due to his ball control, acceleration, agility, balance, and nimble footwork in his prime.
Ronaldo was also a strong and powerful player who could shield the ball from the opposition, with former Italian defender Alessandro Nesta (who faced Ronaldo in a high-profile one on one duel in the 1998 UEFA Cup final which was billed as “the best attacker against the best defender in Serie A”) stating: “It was the worst experience of my career. Ronaldo is the hardest attacker I’ve ever had to face. He was impossible to stop.” With his quick reactions and anticipation, Ronaldo often beat defenders to the ball, and as a finisher he was effective with his head, and could finish well both inside and outside the penalty area.
In addition, he was an accurate free-kick and penalty kick taker. On his precocious talent, Rob Smyth of The Guardian wrote, “Ronaldo is easily the best of the past 30 years, possibly ever. The other Ronaldo and Messi were brilliant teenagers but had nothing like the same impact at that age. Only Pelé, Diego Maradona and George Best can really compare.”At his physical peak in the 1990s, Ronaldo became severely affected by serious knee injuries he would suffer from late 1999 onward and the subsequent weight gain during his inactivity, which limited his speed, fitness, and mobility