 Rivaldo playing for Bunyodkor in 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 19 April 1972 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Recife, Brazil | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward, attacking midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1983–1989 | Santa Cruz | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989 | Paulistano | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–1992 | Santa Cruz | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1992 | Santa Cruz | 9 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1994 | Mogi Mirim | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1994 | → Corinthians (loan) | 8 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1996 | Palmeiras | 30 | (14) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Deportivo La Coruña | 41 | (21) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2002 | Barcelona | 157 | (86) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Milan | 22 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Cruzeiro | 11 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2007 | Olympiacos | 70 | (36) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | AEK Athens | 35 | (12) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2011 | Bunyodkor | 53 | (33) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | → São Paulo (loan) | 30 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Kabuscorp | 21 | (11) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | São Caetano | 7 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Mogi Mirim | 8 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 481 | (227) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1993 | Brazil U20[2] | 9 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996 | Brazil Olympic (O.P.)[3] | 7 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–2003 | Brazil | 74 | (35) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira (Brazilian Portuguese: [ʁiˈvawdu ˈvitoʁ ˈbɔʁbɐ feˈʁe(j)ɾɐ]; born 19 April 1972),[4] known simply as Rivaldo, is a Brazilian former footballer who played mainly as an attacking midfielder but also as a second striker, and on occasion deployed as a wide midfielder or as a winger.[5][6] Rivaldo is regarded as one of the greatest, most skillful, and most creative players of all time. He was renowned for his bending free kicks, bicycle kicks, feints, powerful ball striking from distance, and ability to both score and create goals.[5][6] In 1999, he won the Ballon d'Or and was named FIFA World Player of the Year.[7] In 2004, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.[8] With success at club and international level, he is one of nine players to have won the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League and the Ballon d'Or.
Rivaldo started his career in 1991 with Brazilian club Santa Cruz, going on to have spells at Mogi Mirim, a loan spell at Corinthians, and Palmeiras. In 1996, he moved to Europe with Spanish side Deportivo de La Coruña, where his performances in his only season there led him to sign for Barcelona in 1997. At Barcelona, he formed a successful partnership with Dutch international Patrick Kluivert, and won consecutive La Liga titles in 1998 and 1999, as well as the 1998 Copa del Rey. Rivaldo notably scored a hattrick against Valencia in June 2001 which qualified Barcelona for the 2001-02 UEFA Champions League; the last goal was a last minute 20-yard bicycle kick winner and the hattrick itself is often ranked as the greatest ever. During his five-year tenure there, he scored 130 goals, ranking him among Barcelona's highest goalscorers of all time.
In 2002, Rivaldo signed for Italian club A.C. Milan, winning the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Champions League in his only season there, however, his performances were underwhelming and he cancelled his contract with Milan in late 2004. He went on to play for Cruzeiro, Olympiacos, AEK Athens, Bunyodkor, a loan spell at São Paulo, Kabuscorp and São Caetano. In March 2014, Rivaldo announced his retirement from professional football, however since June 2015 he made appearances for Mogi Mirim, before retiring again in August 2015.
From 1993 to 2003, Rivaldo played 74 matches and scored 35 goals for Brazil and is the seventh highest goalscorer for the country.[9] He helped Brazil reach the final of the 1998 FIFA World Cup and won the 1999 Copa América where he was named player of the tournament. Rivaldo starred in an attacking trio with Ronaldo and Ronaldinho in the 2002 FIFA World Cup winning team. Scoring in five of Brazil's seven games at the tournament, Rivaldo was named in the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team in 2002 having also previously been selected in 1998. He is an inductee to the Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame.
- ^ "Rivaldo". FC Barcelona. Archived from the original on 12 February 2002.
- ^ "Rivaldo". www.football-the-story.com (in French). Retrieved 29 May 2023.
- ^ "Rivaldo Football Player Statistics". 11v11.com. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
- ^ "Rivaldo". Britannica. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ a b "On Second Thoughts: Rivaldo". The Guardian. 19 June 2008.
Best of all there was the greatest hat-trick of all time, against Valencia on 17 June 2001, a midsummer night's dream of a performance that deserves a book
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Sports Illustratedwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Rivaldo on top of the world". FIFA. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
- ^ "Pele's list of the greatest". BBC Sport. 4 March 2004.
- ^ "Goalscoring for Brazil National Team". RSSSF. Retrieved 17 May 2014