One season from God: Ronaldo Nazario's incredible season at FC Barcelona

Former Barcelona striker, Ronaldo Nazario was a shooting star for the Catalan club. It is very rare for a player to feature for just one season for a club and still be regarded as one of the best players the club has ever had, that is the case of Ronaldo Nazario at Barcelona. The hotshot Brazilian striker was signed in the summer of 1996 for a then world-record fee of $19.5m from the Dutch side, PSV Eindhoven. Despite just last 1 season at Catalonia, these are some of the numerous records Ronaldo Nazario broke at FC Barcelona. 

Ronaldo Nazario records for FC Barcelona

According to the then coach of Barcelona, Ronaldo Nazario was billed to play for 8 seasons at the Spanish club. In his first season, Ronaldo scored a total of 47 goals in just 49 matches across all competitions. This haul was split into 34 goals in 37 La Liga matches, 6 goals in 4 Cup games, 5 goals in 7 European matches and 2 in an exhibition game. His record of over 30 goals in the La Liga was unbroken till Lionel Messi in 2008/09. 

Ronaldo Nazario goals for Barcelona

Ronaldo Nazario's record goal haul for Barcelona earned him numerous awards and records in Spain and Europe. His 34 La Liga goals made him the top scorer in the league for that season and also earned him the European Golden Shoe for the most goals scored by a player in all of Europe's league competitions. He was awarded the UNICEF European Player of the season as well as being included in the Team of the Year. At the end of the year, Ronaldo Nazario won the FIFA World Player of the Year Award. He was aged just 20, the youngest to ever win the award. 

Ronaldo Nazario trophies for Barcelona

Ronaldo's solitary season at Barcelona saw him win major trophies for the Blaugrana. He was the key player in Barcelona winning the UEFA Cup Winner's Cup, the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de Espana in that same season. His haul of 3 trophies would have been more if his Barcelona side also won the La Liga, but they lost that to eternal rivals, Real Madrid. 

Ronaldo scored many memorable goals for Barcelona and created other moments to remember for the fans. His incredible goal against SD Compostela was described as when a player asks God to make him the best player In the world and He listens. His hat-trick against Valencia made Barcelona fans wave white handkerchiefs to saw their absolute admiration for the striker. Till today, Ronaldo Nazario is considered one of the best players to ever play for Barcelona.