1998 World Cup Final: Ronaldo s surprise and France s victory

"The team list is posted, my goodness, there is no Ronaldo on it!" BBC legendary commentator John Motterson recalled that fate-changing afternoon. On July 12, 1998, Paris, 72 minutes before the World Cup final, the world's best player mysteriously disappeared from the Brazilian team's starting list. The scene was in chaos, triggering crazy speculation from the global media. About half an hour later, a new roster came: Ronaldo will start. But a huge question mark has already enveloped the French Stadium. The truth about epilepsy and chaos before the game is far more bizarre and thrilling than any conspiracy theory.

On the afternoon of that day, Ronaldo suddenly encountered convulsions throughout his body and fell into a coma for several minutes. His roommate Roberto Carlos called for help in despair.

Ronaldo was rushed to the hospital and underwent a comprehensive examination for up to 3 hours. "All the tests you could think of were done," Ronaldo later recalled, "but it was as if nothing had happened." The cause of the disease is still unknown.

When he rushed back to the stadium from the hospital and insisted on playing, the entire Brazilian team's tactical plan was completely disrupted a few hours before the game. Substitute goalkeeper Dida recalled: "The bus to the stadium was dead silent and there was no music."

As we all know, a Brazilian team that had been mentally defeated was defeated 0-3 in France. Ronaldo on the court is like sleepwalking. That afternoon in Paris, the king of Yokohama, four years later, became the eternal devil in Ronaldo's heart.

Four years later, in the 2002 Yokohama World Cup final, he didn't even dare to take a nap before the game because he was afraid that the 1998 nightmare would repeat itself. This time, his roommate Dida, chatting with him like a guardian angel, playing golf until he fell asleep peacefully.

This time, Ronaldo slept well. After waking up, he was refreshed and scored twice in the final, leading the Brazilian team to the top of the world. The 2002 cup was Ronaldo's loudest response to all the mysteries, pains and doubts in 1998. The missing forward in Paris finally completed his self-salvation in Yokohama, putting a golden end to the unsolved case of this century.