Rivaldo

▪ 2001

      Another Brazilian athlete was crowned king of association football (soccer) when, on Jan. 24, 2000, a Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) poll named Rivaldo Player of the Year for 1999. The 140 national team coaches who voted in the poll gave Rivaldo more than 535 points, compared with 194 for the second-ranked player, David Beckham. Rivaldo was the third Brazilian to have been so honoured since the mid-1990s, following the two other “R's”: Romario (1994) and Ronaldo (1996, 1997).

      Rivaldo Vitor Borba Ferreira was born on April 19, 1972, into a working-class family in Recife, Braz. Like many poor Brazilian youths, he took up football at an early age. In 1989 he made his club debut with Paulista. After playing with other clubs (Santa Cruz, Mogi-Mirim, and Corinthians), the 1.86-m (6-ft 1-in), 73-kg (161-lb) midfielder-striker joined the Palmeiras team, which won Brazil's national championship in 1994. Two years later Rivaldo scored 20 goals in a 16-game hot streak for Deportivo de la Coruña, and he led Brazil's bronze-medal-winning team at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga. He moved across the Atlantic to Spain in 1997 after the Barcelona club spent $25.7 million to obtain him as a replacement for Ronaldo, who had transferred to another team. That year Rivaldo helped Barcelona conquer the Spanish League, a feat the team repeated in 1999. In 1997 and 1998 he was the league's top scorer. For his efforts in the 1998 World Cup—Rivaldo led Brazil to the World Cup final, which Brazil lost to France 3–0—he was named to FIFA's all-star team. In 1999 he keyed Brazil's successful bid to capture the Copa América (South American championship).

      A fearsome free kicker and an excellent dribbler, Rivaldo traditionally worked the left side of the field, though increasingly over the years he had added other positions to his game. Despite his obvious striking prowess, many observers believed Rivaldo still had room for improvement. He sometimes appeared to lack control while hitting headers in traffic, and he was not as effective as other players inside the penalty area. At times he had also been criticized for his individual style of play, which had exacerbated conflicts with his coach at Barcelona, Louis Van Gaal. Nonetheless, Rivaldo repeatedly had proved himself to be an exceptionally talented player, and as he continued to concentrate on the finer points of his game, the world was sure to be watching for what greater goals he had in store.

Stephen P. Davis

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