Ronaldo retires as injury takes its toll

Brazilian great Ronaldo tearfully announced his retirement yesterday, admitting his body had finally succumbed to the crippling litany of injuries that have blighted his remarkable career.

The 34-year-old's career arguably reached its zenith with his masterly performances at the 2002 World Cup, but three serious knee injuries cast a pall over his later years in sport.

The three-time FIFA World Player of the Year will perhaps be best remembered for his international exploits, having scored 15 World Cup goals, breaking the record previously held by Gerd Muller.

He scored eight in the 2002 tournament in Japan and South Korea alone, including both goals in the 2-0 final win over Germany. In total, he scored 62 times for Brazil in 97 appearances. But the latter years of his career had been little more than a constant struggle for fitness and, in announcing his retirement, Ronaldo admitted he was giving up an uneven struggle.

"The pain made me anticipate the end of my career," he said. "It's very hard to leave something that made me so happy. Mentally I wanted to continue, but I have to acknowledge that I lost to my body."

He revealed he had for many years been battling hypothyroidism, a deficiency of thyroid hormone which affected his ability to stay on top of his weight. The Corinthians striker also confirmed a muscle injury sustained last week had been the trigger for him to call time on his career.