The World Waits on Ronaldo’s Knee

When Ronaldo severed the tendon in his left knee on Wednesday, the general consensus was that his career was almost definitely finished. But not everyone has given up hope.

Ronaldo went under the knife in Paris on Thursday and the apparently the surgery went without a hitch. Doctors are now more or less saying it’s up to fate now:

“It is too early to make a statement about Ronaldo’s chances of resuming competitive football,” said a statement from the hospital. “They (his chances) depend not only on how effective the operation was but also on the rehabilitation process and on the motivation of Ronaldo, who is 31, to resume sport at the highest level.”

If his mind is as strong as it was in 2002, then it all depends on his body. Ronaldo’s triumph in Japan & South Korea was quite a few years ago, when he was nowhere near 30. Now he’s past that landmark age it’s going to be a whole lot harder to recover full fitness.

The President of Brazil is behind him, writing in an open letter to the striker: “Young man, keep moving forward, be strong, don’t give up. I have faith, just as the Brazilian people do, that you will return to the playing field and once again you’ll be an example of perseverance and courage.”

Of course we wish Ronaldo all the best, and hope to see him in action again if possible. But if it is all over then so be it. History will remember that the Brazilian became one of the greats despite all his injury problems, which makes everything he’s achieved even more impressive.