Why is Ronaldo Nazário called R9?

To tell him apart from other players called Ronaldo, especially Cristiano Ronaldo (CR7). The 9 is the number he wore for Brazil and most of his clubs.

What number did Ronaldo wear at Inter?

10 in 1997/98, then 9 from 1998 onwards.

Why did Ronaldo wear 99 at AC Milan?

Filippo Inzaghi already wore 9, so Ronaldo took 99.

Players

Ronaldo R9: A Career in Shirts

23 September 20262 min read

Ronaldo Nazário, known as R9, won two World Cups with Brazil and is one of the greatest strikers of all time. He played for five clubs in Europe and changed numbers more than once. Here is his career, shirt by shirt.

PSV Eindhoven, 1994–96

Ronaldo joined PSV from Cruzeiro at 17, just after the 1994 World Cup. He was in Brazil's winning squad but did not play.

He wore 9 and scored 30 league goals in his first season in Europe.

Barcelona, 1996–97

One season, 47 goals in all competitions. Barcelona won the Cup Winners' Cup and the Copa del Rey, and Ronaldo was named FIFA World Player of the Year at 20.

Inter, 1997–2002

Inter paid a world-record fee for him in 1997. He wore 10 in his first season, scored in the UEFA Cup final win over Lazio and won the Ballon d'Or.

When Roberto Baggio arrived in 1998 and took 10, Ronaldo moved to 9. Serious knee injuries kept him out for most of the next two years.

Brazil, 2002

Ronaldo came back to score eight goals at the 2002 World Cup, including both in the 2-0 final against Germany. He won the Golden Boot and, that December, a second Ballon d'Or.

Real Madrid, 2002–07

He joined Real Madrid after the World Cup. He wore 11 in his first season, when Real won La Liga, then switched to 9 and was the league's top scorer in 2003/04.

AC Milan, 2007–08

Ronaldo joined Milan in January 2007. Filippo Inzaghi already had 9, so he took 99.

He had played in the Champions League for Real Madrid earlier that season, so he was cup-tied when Milan won the final in May.

Quick answers

Why is Ronaldo Nazário called R9?: To tell him apart from other players called Ronaldo, especially Cristiano Ronaldo (CR7). The 9 is the number he wore for Brazil and most of his clubs.
What number did Ronaldo wear at Inter?: 10 in 1997/98, then 9 from 1998 onwards.
Why did Ronaldo wear 99 at AC Milan?: Filippo Inzaghi already wore 9, so Ronaldo took 99.