BRAZILIAN FOOTBALLING LEGEND Ronaldo this morning announced his retirement from football with immediate effect.

In a career spanning 18 years, “the real Ronaldo”, 34, scored over 400 goals for club and country, spending successful stints with Cruzeiro, PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan.

Most recently, he moved back to Brazil in 2009 where he finished out his career with Série A side Corinthians.

The striker, famed for his deft touch and finishing ability, was awarded the title of FIFA World Player of the Year in 1996, 1997 and 2002.

On top of multiple club successes, Ronaldo was also part of Brazil’s World Cup winning squads in 1994 and 2002. One of the the stars of the 1998 tournament, he was controversially withdrawn from Brazil’s starting line-up just over an hour before the final after reportedly suffering a fit.

He also currently holds the individual record for most World Cup goals, scoring 15 times from 1998 to 2006.

The striker has been plagued by injury difficulties in the latter years of his career, a factor which surely contributed to today’s unexpected announcement.

Let us know what your favourite Ronaldo moment is in the comments below. We’ve included the one below to get the ball rolling – though Manchester United fans might want to give it a miss …