Romário de Souza Faria (born January 29, 1966), better known simply as Romário, is a Brazilian legendary football center forward who helped the Brazil national team win the 1994 FIFA World Cup and has been one of the most prolific strikers in the world since the 1990s, having had successful tenures with European clubs PSV Eindhoven and FC Barcelona, and in Brazil with Vasco da Gama. His professional career has extended past age 40, an age by which most professional footballers have retired.
He is the third highest goalscorer in the history of the Brazilian team, as well as the second highest scorer of all time in the Brazilian League, in which he has finished as the top scorer six times. He was selected the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1994 and is catalogued as one of the greatest stars in the history of the game by FIFA.
Born in Rio de Janeiro, of very humble beginnings, Romário started his career playing for Vasco da Gama (becoming one of the best footballers of the club in the last two decades) where he won two State Championships (1987/88). After being scouted by Piet de Visser, he played for PSV Eindhoven between 1988 and 1992, winning the Dutch League in 1989, 1991 and 1992. He moved to Spain's FC Barcelona for the 1993-1994 season, in which, along with players like Hristo Stoichkov, Jose Mari Bakero, Josep Guardiola, Michael Laudrup and Ronald Koeman, he helped the club win the League, while becoming the season's top goalscorer with 30 goals in 33 matches.
Romário was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1994, after being the runner-up in 1993. In 1995 he returned to Brazil to play for Flamengo. He spent the next year in Valencia. In 1998, he missed out the World Cup and then returned to Flamengo until 1999.
He played for Vasco da Gama again in 2000, winning the Mercosur Cup, the Brazilian League, the South American and Brazilian Footballer of the Year award. From 2002 until 2004 he played for Fluminense. On October 21, 2004 he was fired from the club after a conflict with the coach. He then went back to play for the team he started at, Vasco da Gama. In 2005, at nearly 40 years of age, Romário scored 22 goals in the Brazilian Championship, making him the league's top goalscorer.
In the beginning of 2006, he joined Miami FC along with former 1994 FIFA World Cup teammate Zinho. He helped Miami FC reach their first ever USL First Division Playoffs, scoring 18 league goals in 23 appearances for the team. In the biggest coup of the A-League's short history, Romario was signed by AUFC Board member Mel Patzwald to the Australian A-League club Adelaide United FC. He played his first match for Adelaide United FC on November 25, 2006 against the Central Coast Mariners FC. His short stint in Adelaide United FC had been criticized by a few United fans who felt that his selection was purely a commercial exercise to the detriment of the team. However, Romario found form in his final game with the club on December 15th 2006 when he scored a decisive goal to finish on a high and win over all fans of the game. It was an outpouring of emotion by a crowd who longed for him to extend his stay in Adelaide. According to club officials he is held in the highest regard and there is hope that he will continue his ties with the club. In January 2007 he signed a new deal with Vasco da Gama.
On May 20, 2007, Romário scored his 1000th goal, a penalty kick against Sport Recife, playing for Vasco da Gama. He claims he is the second player in professional football history to achieve this, after Pelé in 1969 (some also claim that Arthur Friedenreich and Franz Binder each scored 1000 goals, see Football top goalscorers). There is much controversy over the validity of the 1000 goals as Romario includes goals scored in youth, friendly and testimonial games. The 1000th goal is widely recognized by both Brazilian and international press. In the milestone day, part of the international press reacted saying 1000th goal claim is unfair, because Romário counted his goals in junior, friendly and non-official games.
As a member of the Brazilian national team, Romário won the silver Olympic medal in Seoul in 1988, scoring seven goals. He was part of the Brazilian squad in the World Cups of 1990 and 1994. He scored 55 goals in 70 international matches, being the second highest goalscorer in the history of the Brazilian team behind Pelé. He was a reserve in the 1990 World Cup, playing only 66 minutes in one match, against Scotland. Brazil was eliminated in second round by Argentina.
In 1993, during Romário's successful season at Barcelona, he was called to the national team for the Copa America. During one of Brazil's matches, coach Carlos Alberto Parreira left Romário as a reserve, after which he expressed his dissatisfaction, saying he would not have come over from Spain if he had known he was not going to play. These declarations caused Parreira to ban Romário from the Brazilian team.
Brazil played the first seven matches of the 1994 World Cup qualification without Romário, and suffered their first loss ever in World Cup qualifying against Bolivia. Journalists and fans clamored for his presence. Brazil had to beat Uruguay at the Maracana Stadium to finish first of their group. Before the match against Uruguay, Parreira gave up and called Romário. Brazil won 2-0, with Romário scoring both goals, and qualified to the World Cup.
At the World Cup finals, he partnered with Bebeto in the attack to lead his country to a record fourth World Cup title. He scored five goals in the tournament: one in each of the three first round matches, one against the Netherlands in quarterfinals, and the game-winning header against Sweden in the semifinals. He also assisted Bebeto in the only goal of the match against the United States in the round of 16. He was voted the most outstanding player of the tournament.
In the subsequent years, Romário formed, along with fellow Brazilian forward Ronaldo, a feared attacking combo, which was colloquially referred to as the Ro-Ro duo. They each scored a hat-trick in a 6-0 win against Australia in the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup.
In a controversial decision, Romário, much to the dismay of Brazil fans and his own, was left out of the 1998 World Cup squad. Medical exams had revealed that he had a muscular injury, and he received intensive treatment leading up to the tournament, but he did not recover completely and was dismissed the day of the deadline for the World Cup squad submissions. Brazil lost the World Cup final against hosts France.
Prior to the 2002 World Cup, Romário, aged 36, was in considerably good form for while playing for Fluminense, but once again he was controversially left out of the national squad by coach Luiz Felipe Scolari due to indiscipline, despite general public demand for his inclusion. Brazil went on to win the tournament, beating Germany in the final.
Last game for Brazil
On April 28, 2005, Romário played his last game with the Brazilian national team in a friendly and celebrating match. He scored the second goal in Brazil's 3-0 win against Guatemala. The last official game supporting Brazil was in March 27, 2001 in World Cup 2002 Qualifying when Brazil lost to Ecuador by 1-0.
He is the third highest goalscorer in the history of the Brazilian team, as well as the second highest scorer of all time in the Brazilian League, in which he has finished as the top scorer six times. He was selected the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1994 and is catalogued as one of the greatest stars in the history of the game by FIFA.
Born in Rio de Janeiro, of very humble beginnings, Romário started his career playing for Vasco da Gama (becoming one of the best footballers of the club in the last two decades) where he won two State Championships (1987/88). After being scouted by Piet de Visser, he played for PSV Eindhoven between 1988 and 1992, winning the Dutch League in 1989, 1991 and 1992. He moved to Spain's FC Barcelona for the 1993-1994 season, in which, along with players like Hristo Stoichkov, Jose Mari Bakero, Josep Guardiola, Michael Laudrup and Ronald Koeman, he helped the club win the League, while becoming the season's top goalscorer with 30 goals in 33 matches.
Romário was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1994, after being the runner-up in 1993. In 1995 he returned to Brazil to play for Flamengo. He spent the next year in Valencia. In 1998, he missed out the World Cup and then returned to Flamengo until 1999.
He played for Vasco da Gama again in 2000, winning the Mercosur Cup, the Brazilian League, the South American and Brazilian Footballer of the Year award. From 2002 until 2004 he played for Fluminense. On October 21, 2004 he was fired from the club after a conflict with the coach. He then went back to play for the team he started at, Vasco da Gama. In 2005, at nearly 40 years of age, Romário scored 22 goals in the Brazilian Championship, making him the league's top goalscorer.
In the beginning of 2006, he joined Miami FC along with former 1994 FIFA World Cup teammate Zinho. He helped Miami FC reach their first ever USL First Division Playoffs, scoring 18 league goals in 23 appearances for the team. In the biggest coup of the A-League's short history, Romario was signed by AUFC Board member Mel Patzwald to the Australian A-League club Adelaide United FC. He played his first match for Adelaide United FC on November 25, 2006 against the Central Coast Mariners FC. His short stint in Adelaide United FC had been criticized by a few United fans who felt that his selection was purely a commercial exercise to the detriment of the team. However, Romario found form in his final game with the club on December 15th 2006 when he scored a decisive goal to finish on a high and win over all fans of the game. It was an outpouring of emotion by a crowd who longed for him to extend his stay in Adelaide. According to club officials he is held in the highest regard and there is hope that he will continue his ties with the club. In January 2007 he signed a new deal with Vasco da Gama.
On May 20, 2007, Romário scored his 1000th goal, a penalty kick against Sport Recife, playing for Vasco da Gama. He claims he is the second player in professional football history to achieve this, after Pelé in 1969 (some also claim that Arthur Friedenreich and Franz Binder each scored 1000 goals, see Football top goalscorers). There is much controversy over the validity of the 1000 goals as Romario includes goals scored in youth, friendly and testimonial games. The 1000th goal is widely recognized by both Brazilian and international press. In the milestone day, part of the international press reacted saying 1000th goal claim is unfair, because Romário counted his goals in junior, friendly and non-official games.
As a member of the Brazilian national team, Romário won the silver Olympic medal in Seoul in 1988, scoring seven goals. He was part of the Brazilian squad in the World Cups of 1990 and 1994. He scored 55 goals in 70 international matches, being the second highest goalscorer in the history of the Brazilian team behind Pelé. He was a reserve in the 1990 World Cup, playing only 66 minutes in one match, against Scotland. Brazil was eliminated in second round by Argentina.
In 1993, during Romário's successful season at Barcelona, he was called to the national team for the Copa America. During one of Brazil's matches, coach Carlos Alberto Parreira left Romário as a reserve, after which he expressed his dissatisfaction, saying he would not have come over from Spain if he had known he was not going to play. These declarations caused Parreira to ban Romário from the Brazilian team.
Brazil played the first seven matches of the 1994 World Cup qualification without Romário, and suffered their first loss ever in World Cup qualifying against Bolivia. Journalists and fans clamored for his presence. Brazil had to beat Uruguay at the Maracana Stadium to finish first of their group. Before the match against Uruguay, Parreira gave up and called Romário. Brazil won 2-0, with Romário scoring both goals, and qualified to the World Cup.
At the World Cup finals, he partnered with Bebeto in the attack to lead his country to a record fourth World Cup title. He scored five goals in the tournament: one in each of the three first round matches, one against the Netherlands in quarterfinals, and the game-winning header against Sweden in the semifinals. He also assisted Bebeto in the only goal of the match against the United States in the round of 16. He was voted the most outstanding player of the tournament.
In the subsequent years, Romário formed, along with fellow Brazilian forward Ronaldo, a feared attacking combo, which was colloquially referred to as the Ro-Ro duo. They each scored a hat-trick in a 6-0 win against Australia in the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup.
In a controversial decision, Romário, much to the dismay of Brazil fans and his own, was left out of the 1998 World Cup squad. Medical exams had revealed that he had a muscular injury, and he received intensive treatment leading up to the tournament, but he did not recover completely and was dismissed the day of the deadline for the World Cup squad submissions. Brazil lost the World Cup final against hosts France.
Prior to the 2002 World Cup, Romário, aged 36, was in considerably good form for while playing for Fluminense, but once again he was controversially left out of the national squad by coach Luiz Felipe Scolari due to indiscipline, despite general public demand for his inclusion. Brazil went on to win the tournament, beating Germany in the final.
Last game for Brazil
On April 28, 2005, Romário played his last game with the Brazilian national team in a friendly and celebrating match. He scored the second goal in Brazil's 3-0 win against Guatemala. The last official game supporting Brazil was in March 27, 2001 in World Cup 2002 Qualifying when Brazil lost to Ecuador by 1-0.
