Romário

Romário
Born	Romário de Souza Faria (1966-01-29) January 29, 1966 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Occupation(s)	Politician, former professional footballer
Years active	1985–2008 (football), 2010–present (politics)
Known for	Footballer, Senior Senator for Rio de Janeiro, president of America-RJ football club

Romário de Souza Faria (born 29 January 1966), widely recognized simply as Romário, is a Brazilian politician and ex-professional football player. He currently holds the position of Senior Senator representing Rio de Janeiro and serves as president of the football club America-RJ. Celebrated as a highly effective striker, Romário is regarded among the finest forwards in football history. Throughout his career, he amassed more than 700 goals across club and international play, and is one of only five players to have scored 100 goals for three separate clubs.

Romário captained the Brazil squad that triumphed in the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where he received the prestigious Golden Ball award for best player. That same year, he was honored as the FIFA World Player of the Year. In subsequent years, he was ranked fifth in the 1999 FIFA Player of the Century online poll, included in the 2002 FIFA World Cup Dream Team, and featured in the 2004 FIFA 100 list highlighting the greatest living players.

At club level, Romário’s early development took place in Brazil before his move to PSV Eindhoven in 1988. There, he played a key role in securing three Eredivisie championships, netting 165 goals in 167 appearances. In 1993, he transferred to Barcelona, where he won a La Liga title and finished as top scorer with 30 goals. His later career was predominantly spent with clubs based in Rio de Janeiro, notably winning the Brazilian league with Vasco da Gama in 2000 and clinching the league’s top scorer award on three occasions. His playing journey also included short periods in Qatar, the United States, and Australia.

Renowned for his exceptional control in confined areas and explosive short bursts of speed—attributes enhanced by a low center of gravity—Romário was especially famous for his signature finishing technique known as the toe poke. Internationally, he scored 55 goals in 70 matches for Brazil, ranking fourth among the nation’s all-time top scorers behind Neymar, Pelé, and Ronaldo. In domestic league play, he stands third on Brazil’s all-time scoring list with 155 goals and ranks ninth worldwide with a total of 784 goals from 1002 official games.

Romário embarked on his political path in 2010 by serving as a deputy for the Brazilian Socialist Party. He secured election as senator in 2014, later joining Podemos in 2017 before switching allegiance to the Liberal Party in 2021.

Early years

Romário’s career commenced at Olaria, a modest club based in Rio de Janeiro. He subsequently progressed to the youth ranks of Vasco da Gama, where he contributed to winning two state championships (1987 and 1988) and gained selection for the national team. His breakthrough on the international stage came as top scorer during the 1988 Olympic football tournament.

1988–1993: PSV Eindhoven

Following his Olympic success, Romário signed with Dutch side PSV Eindhoven, where he played an instrumental role in capturing Eredivisie titles in 1989, 1991, and 1992. Demonstrating remarkable accuracy within tight spaces, he tallied an impressive 165 goals across 167 matches over five seasons. His self-assurance was well-known; coach Guus Hiddink recalled Romário confidently assuring him before major fixtures that he would deliver goals and secure victory—promises that were fulfilled on most occasions.

1993–1995: Barcelona

Romário joined Barcelona for the 1993–94 campaign, becoming part of Johan Cruyff's renowned "Dream Team." Partnering with striker Hristo Stoichkov and alongside influential teammates such as José Mari Bakero, Michael Laudrup, and defender Ronald Koeman, he played a crucial role in capturing the La Liga championship. Romário also secured the top scorer accolade by netting 30 goals in 33 league appearances. Despite high expectations from both the media and Cruyff, Barcelona fell 0–4 to Milan in the 1994 UEFA Champions League final.

One of his most memorable displays was a hat-trick during a 5–0 El Clásico victory over Real Madrid at Camp Nou, highlighted by his trademark toe-poke finish. In Champions League action, Romário impressed by scoring twice against Manchester United, including a deft nutmeg on goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel at Old Trafford and another goal in a 4–0 home triumph witnessed by 114,000 spectators. Manchester United captain Steve Bruce praised him as "arguably the best player I ever faced."

Romário was honored with the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 1994, having been runner-up the previous year. His tenure was not without controversy, as he received a five-match ban for striking Sevilla’s Diego Simeone. In January 1995, following disagreements with coach Cruyff, Romário abruptly departed from Barcelona.

1995–1999: Flamengo and Valencia

Romário returned to Brazil in 1995 to represent Flamengo, where he spent five years intermittently interrupted by brief spells in Spain. During a Copa Libertadores match that year, he became involved in on-pitch confrontations. He began the 1996–97 season at Valencia, but after conflicts with manager Luis Aragonés, he was loaned back to Flamengo.

He re-signed with Valencia for the 1997–98 season but left after only six league appearances due to coach Claudio Ranieri’s approach of not retaining players lacking commitment and to concentrate on preparations for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Subsequently, Romário returned permanently to Flamengo.

2000–2005: Vasco and Fluminense

In 2000, Romário made a return to Vasco da Gama, reuniting with striker Edmundo. Together, they propelled Vasco to the final of the 2000 FIFA Club World Championship, where Romário finished as joint top scorer. A highlight was their victory over European champions Manchester United at the Maracanã Stadium, with Romário scoring twice early in the fixture.

At age 34, Romário enjoyed an exceptional season, securing both the Copa Mercosur and the Brazilian league title with Vasco. His hat-trick in the decisive Mercosur final against Palmeiras orchestrated a remarkable comeback from a three-goal halftime deficit. He was awarded both South American Footballer of the Year and Brazilian Footballer of the Year honors and topped the Brazilian league scoring charts in 2000 and again in 2001.

Between 2002 and 2004, Romário featured for Fluminense. Early in 2003, he signed a lucrative three-month contract with Qatar’s Al Sadd but returned to Fluminense without scoring after an unsuccessful stint abroad. His time at Fluminense ended in October 2004 amid disputes with club officials and an incident involving a supporter.

Romário then rejoined Vasco da Gama, where at age 39 he netted 22 goals during the Brazilian Championship season, earning his third top scorer award in that competition.

Later career

At the start of 2006, Romário signed with Miami FC, joining forces with his former 1994 FIFA World Cup teammate Zinho. He was instrumental in guiding Miami FC to their inaugural appearance in the USL-1 Playoffs, netting 19 goals across 25 league matches.

Later that year, newly promoted Campeonato Mineiro team Tupi secured Romário on a short-term contract for the Taça Minas. However, the transfer was blocked by the Brazilian Football Confederation due to it occurring outside the official international transfer window. Although he trained with Tupi, Romário never featured in a match for them.

Subsequently, Romário joined Australian A-League club Adelaide United for a brief five-game spell, having been signed by board member Mel Patzwald. He made his debut on 25 November 2006 and scored his sole goal for Adelaide in his final appearance on 15 December 2006, concluding a short stint. In January 2007, he returned to Brazil and re-signed with Vasco da Gama.

Thousandth goal

On 20 May 2007, Romário achieved a landmark by scoring his 1000th career goal—a penalty against Sport Recife while playing for Vasco da Gama. This milestone placed him among an exclusive group of football legends such as Pelé, Puskás, and Friedenreich. The event drew widespread media coverage, with the game being paused for more than 20 minutes to commemorate the occasion.

There is ongoing discussion regarding the official tally since Romário's total includes goals from youth competitions, friendlies, and unofficial fixtures. While FIFA acknowledged his achievement, their official records credit him with 929 goals, excluding 77 scored at youth level and others from non-official matches. The RSSSF estimates his total at 968 goals across 1188 games. In 2008, Romário released a DVD featuring highlights of 900 of his finest goals. Following this achievement, Vasco da Gama honored him by erecting a statue at their home ground, São Januário.

Player/Manager of Vasco da Gama

Romário took on the role of interim manager for Vasco da Gama on 24 October 2007 during a Copa Sudamericana quarter-final match against Club América, while also participating as a player. At age 41, he succeeded Celso Roth but was anticipated to hold the position temporarily. Vasco president Eurico Miranda confirmed Romário’s short-term coaching assignment. On 6 February 2008, Romário was relieved of managerial duties after disputing Miranda’s involvement in team selection but retained his contract as a player.

On 4 December 2007, Romário tested positive for finasteride, a substance banned as a steroid masking agent; he explained this was due to treatment for hair loss.

Retirement and comeback

Romário announced on 5 February 2008 that he would retire from playing and coaching by the end of March to focus on preparations for the FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. However, on 27 March he retracted this retirement statement.

At a DVD launch event on 15 April 2008, he formally declared his retirement from professional football, citing difficulties with maintaining playing weight. His career spanned over twenty years across five continents, during which he scored 71 goals in 85 appearances representing Brazil and amassed more than 1,000 goals at club level.

In August 2009, Romário came out of retirement to join Rio de Janeiro’s America, fulfilling a wish of his late father. He made his debut on 25 November 2009 versus Artsul, contributing to America’s victory in the Carioca Championship Second Division.

In 2024, at age 58, Romário registered as player-president of America to compete in the Campeonato Carioca Série A2 alongside his son Romarinho. Although an unused substitute in the opening match of the season, he expressed willingness to participate primarily in home fixtures.

International career

Romário played a pivotal role for the Brazil national team, securing a silver medal at the Seoul Olympics where he emerged as the tournament's leading scorer with seven goals in six games. He became a celebrated figure during the 1989 Copa América by netting the decisive goal against Uruguay, which ended Brazil's title drought at the Maracanã Stadium. Throughout his international tenure, Romário took part in both the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, amassing 71 goals across 85 appearances for Brazil’s senior and Olympic squads, positioning him as the nation's fourth top scorer.

1990 World Cup

Heading into the 1990 World Cup hosted by Italy, Romário was regarded as a key talent but had sustained a significant injury three months earlier. Although he recovered enough to be included in the team, his limited fitness allowed him only 66 minutes of playtime against Scotland. Brazil’s campaign ended in the round of 16 following a defeat to regional rivals Argentina.

1994 World Cup

In 1992, while enjoying a prolific spell at PSV Eindhoven, Romário was selected for a friendly versus Germany but remained on the bench under coach Carlos Alberto Parreira. This decision led to Romário publicly expressing his displeasure and subsequently being excluded from the national squad.

Without Romário, Brazil encountered difficulties early in the World Cup qualifying rounds, including their first-ever defeat to Bolivia. This sparked growing demands from fans for his reinstatement. Ahead of the crucial qualifier against Uruguay at the Maracanã, Parreira recalled Romário, who then scored both goals in a 2–0 victory that secured Brazil’s place in the tournament. Parreira later commented: "God sent Romário to the Maracanã".

During the 1994 FIFA World Cup held in the United States, Romário formed an effective partnership with Bebeto to steer Brazil to its fourth World Cup championship. He contributed five goals: one each against Russia, Cameroon, and a trademark toe-poked finish versus Sweden, as well as goals against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals and Sweden again in the semifinals.

Romário also provided an assist for Bebeto’s crucial goal against the United States during the round of 16. Though he did not score in the final against Italy, he successfully converted Brazil’s second penalty in the shootout that clinched victory. He was honored with the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball as the tournament’s most valuable player and earned a spot on the All-Star Team.

Known by The New York Times as "short on humility, long on talent," Romário was known for demanding preferential treatment but shared an iconic celebration with Bebeto—rocking an imaginary baby following Bebeto’s goal against the Netherlands.

The Ro-Ro partnership

Romário and fellow Brazilian striker Ronaldo formed the powerful attacking duo known as Ro-Ro. Together, they secured the 1997 Copa América title in Bolivia, combining for eight goals throughout the tournament. In December 1997, both players achieved hat-tricks during Brazil’s 6–0 triumph over Australia in the final of the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup. Romário emerged as the tournament's leading scorer with seven goals, while Ronaldo contributed four. Collectively, they amassed 34 international goals in 1997 alone. Expectations were high for this duo to spearhead Brazil’s campaign at the 1998 World Cup in France.

Absence from the 1998 and 2002 World Cups

Romário was left out of the 1998 World Cup roster due to an unresolved muscle injury that prevented him from being included before the final squad submission deadline. He publicly voiced his profound disappointment over the omission. Brazil eventually fell to host nation France in the tournament final.

Prior to the 2002 World Cup, despite his impressive performances for Vasco da Gama, Romário was again excluded by coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, who cited disciplinary reasons. The critical issue stemmed from Romário withdrawing from the 2001 Copa América squad, officially for an eye surgery, but instead participating in friendlies with Vasco da Gama and taking a vacation. Although Romário apologized during a televised press conference, he was not reinstated. Reports indicated that senior teammates influenced Scolari’s decision. The coach characterized Romário’s exclusion as "technical and tactical," highlighting his withdrawal from Copa América as a decisive factor. Brazil went on to claim their fifth World Cup title without him.

Final appearance for Brazil

Romário’s last outing for the Brazil national team occurred on 27 April 2005 in a friendly held in São Paulo that celebrated his career. Serving as captain, he scored Brazil’s second goal in a 3–0 win against Guatemala. Following his retirement from international football, Romário played a key role in advocating for Brazil to be awarded hosting rights for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Footvolley and beach soccer

Since the 1990s, Romário has actively participated in footvolley, competing across numerous tournaments. He claimed victory at the VIP Footvolley.net Open held in Miami Beach, USA, in 2006 and finished as runner-up at the 2011 Footvolley World Championship in Rio de Janeiro. Furthermore, he represented Brazil in Beach soccer during the 2005 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.

Playing style and accolades

Romário is widely acknowledged as one of football's most prolific and exceptional strikers. His Barcelona manager, Johan Cruyff, described him as a "genius inside the penalty area" and regarded him as the finest player he ever coached. Brazilian icon Ronaldo identified Romário as his most decisive teammate and greatest influence. Italian greats Roberto Baggio and Paolo Maldini praised his extraordinary mastery within the penalty box—a sentiment echoed by Diego Maradona. The number 11 jersey worn by Romário became iconic and inspired future talents such as Neymar.

Together with contemporaries Ronaldo and Liberian star George Weah, Romário helped transform the striker role by operating beyond traditional penalty area boundaries, employing skillful dribbling and rapid acceleration—a transformation noted by former France forward Thierry Henry. Nicknamed Baixinho ("The Little One"), Romário combined agility, balance, and physical strength to thrive in confined spaces. His signature finishing techniques included powerful toe-poke shots alongside delicate chips. His dribbling arsenal featured intricate feints such as the flip flap.

While capable of making deep runs, Romário was primarily recognized as an opportunistic "goal-poacher," celebrated for his intelligence, spatial awareness, and impeccable timing to slip past defenders inside the box. Beyond scoring, he contributed speed, creativity, vision, and assists, forging effective attacking collaborations with teammates like Hristo Stoichkov, Edmundo, Euller, Bebeto, and Ronaldo.

Despite his undeniable skill set, Romário faced criticism for being outspoken and displaying a lackadaisical attitude toward training intensity. He candidly admitted to a relaxed approach toward fitness regimes, famously stating: "The night was always my friend. When I go out, I am happy and when I am happy I score goals."

Media and Sponsorship

Romário has been featured in advertisements for the sportswear brand Nike. In 1998, he appeared in a Nike advertisement alongside prominent members of the Brazil national team such as Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos. Additionally, Romário is included in the roster of players in EA Sports' FIFA series, notably appearing in the FIFA 14 Ultimate Team Legends edition.

Political Career

During the 2010 general election, Romário secured a seat in the Chamber of Deputies as a representative of the Brazilian Socialist Party, ranking as the sixth highest vote-getter among candidates in Rio de Janeiro. He openly criticized the 2014 FIFA World Cup held in Brazil, highlighting issues of corruption and money laundering associated with the tournament. Romário publicly opposed key figures including Ricardo Teixeira, Jérôme Valcke, and Sepp Blatter. He also alleged that the decision to award the 2018 FIFA World Cup to Russia involved corrupt dealings.

On 19 February 2014, Romário declared his intention to run for the Brazilian Senate in the upcoming 2014 Brazilian general election, with his candidacy officially confirmed in June. He won the election with a record number of votes for a Rio de Janeiro candidate.

In June 2017, Romário departed from PSB to join Podemos, where he assumed leadership as party president for Rio de Janeiro. He competed for the governorship of Rio de Janeiro in March 2018 as a centrist Podemos nominee, finishing fourth with 8.6% of valid ballots.

Romário switched affiliation to the Liberal Party in April 2021. Later that year, in October, he endorsed President Jair Bolsonaro and expressed criticism toward the previous government led by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Personal Life

Romário has been married three times and subsequently divorced each time. He is father to seven children, including Romarinho, who is a professional football player formerly associated with Vasco da Gama competing in Campeonato Brasileiro Série A.

Club

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Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Season	Club	League			Regional league		Cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Vasco da Gama	1985	Série A	7	0	21	11	—		0	0	—		28	11
	1986	Série A	23	9	25	20	—		—		—		48	29
	1987	Série A	17	8	24	16	—		—		—		41	24
	1988	Série A	0	0	24	16	—		—		—		24	16
	Total		47	17	94	63	—		—		—		141	80
PSV	1988–89	Eredivisie	24	19	—		5	4	2	2	3	1	34	26
	1989–90	Eredivisie	20	23	—		3	2	4	6	—		27	31
	1990–91	Eredivisie	25	25	—		3	5	2	0	—		30	30
	1991–92	Eredivisie	15	9	—		1	0	2	0	1	0	19	9
	1992–93	Eredivisie	26	22	—		3	3	9	7	1	0	39	32
	Total		110	98	—		15	14	19	15	5	1	149	128
Barcelona	1993–94	La Liga	33	30	—		2	0	10	2	2	0	(47)	32
	1994–95	La Liga	13	4	0	0	5	3	0	0	(18)	7
	Total		46	34	—		2	0	15	5	2	0	65	39
Flamengo	1995	Série A	16	8	21	26	5	1	4	2	—		46	37
	1996	Série A	3	0	19	26	5	1	0	0	6	4	33	31
	Total		19	8	40	52	10	2	4	2	6	4	79	68
Valencia	1996–97	La Liga	5	4	—		0	0	0	0	—		5	4
	1997–98	La Liga	6	1	—		1	1	—		—		7	2
	Total		11	5	—		1	1	0	0	—		12	6
Flamengo	1997	Série A	4	3	18	18	8	7	0	0	6	7	36	35
	1998	Série A	20	14	11	10	4	6	3	4	2	1	40	35
	1999	Série A	19	12	15	16	7	7	7	8	6	3	=54	=46
	> Total		43	29	44	44	19	20	10	12	14	11	130	116
Copa João Havelange (2000)	> Série A	>20 |>17 |>19 |>2 |>1 |>14 |>14 |>10 |>12 |>71 |>66
> Série A	>21 |>6 |>11 |>0 |>0 |>9 |>5 |>6 |>3 |>39 |>40
> Série A	>0 |>4 |>8 |>7 |>5 colspan= "2" "| — "|14 "|13 "|25 "|26
Total	46 "!41 "!27 "!38 "!9 "!6 "!18 "!16 "!35 "!31 "!135 "!132
Total	— — — — — — —

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Appearances	Goals
Brazil	1987	6	4
	1988	7	2
	1989	11	4
	1990	1	0
	1991	0	0
	1992	2	0
	1993	1	2
	1994	10	10
	1995	0	0
	1996	0	0
	1997	17	19
	1998	7	3
	1999	0	0
	2000	2	7
	2001	5	3
	2002	0	0
	2003	0	0
	2004	0	0
	2005	1	1
Total		70	55

Chronological list of Romário's international goals

The score column shows Brazil's total after each goal scored by Romário.

... [Subsequent entries follow the same condensed format] ...

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score after goal	Final result	Competition	Reference
1	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland	Template:Fb	1–1	3–2 victory	Friendly match
2–3	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan, Israel	Template:Fb	"1–0 / 3–0 (two goals)"	"4–0 win"	"Friendly"
4	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	Estadio Olímpico Chateau Carreras, Córdoba, Argentina	Template:Fb	"5–0"	"5–0"	"1987 Copa América"
54	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	Estádio do Morumbi, São Paulo, Brazil	Template:Fb	"1–1"	"1–1"	"2002 World Cup qualifier"
55	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	"Estádio do Pacaembu", São Paulo, Brazil	"Template:Fb\GUA"	"2–0"	"3–0"	"Friendly"

Honours

Vasco da Gama

• Campeonato Brasileiro Série A champion: Copa João Havelange 2000
• Campeonato Carioca titles: 1987, 1988
• Winner of Copa Mercosur: 2000
• Runner-up in FIFA Club World Cup: 2000

PSV Eindhoven

• Secured the Eredivisie championship: 1988–89, 1990–91, 1991–92
• Victorious in the KNVB Cup: 1988–89, 1989–90
• Captured the Johan Cruijff Shield (Dutch Super Cup): 1992

Barcelona

• Claimed the La Liga title: 1993–94
• Winner of the Supercopa de España: 1994
• Finished as runner-up in the UEFA Champions League: 1993–94

Flamengo

• Earned the Campeonato Carioca championships: 1996, 1999
• Winner of the Copa Mercosur: 1999

Al-Sadd

• Champion of the Qatar Crown Prince Cup: 2003

América-RJ

• Secured the Campeonato Carioca Série A2 (Second Division) title: 2009

Brazil Youth

• Winner of the South American Youth Football Championship (U-20): 1985
• Olympic Silver Medalist at the Summer Olympic Games: 1988

Brazil

• FIFA World Cup winner: 1994
• Copa América champion: 1989, 1997
• FIFA Confederations Cup winner: 1997

Individual Achievements

• Top scorer at U-20 South American Championship: 1985
• Multiple seasons as top scorer in Campeonato Carioca (1986–87, 1996–2000)
• Vasco da Gama Player of the Year on several occasions (1987–88, 2000–01)
• Leading scorer in both Eredivisie and KNVB Cup during late '80s and early '90s
• Awarded Dutch Footballer of the Year: 1989
• UEFA Champions League top scorer for seasons 1989–90 and 1992–93
• FIFA World Player of the Year Silver Award recipient in 1993; won in 1994
• Honored with Pichichi Trophy and Trofeo EFE Best Ibero-American Player for 1993–94 season
• Earned FIFA World Cup Golden Ball and Bronze Boot; named to All-Star Team in 1994
• Received Onze d'Or and L'Équipe Champion of Champions Sportsman of the Year awards in 1994
• Included in South American Team of the Year for years 1995, 2000, and 2001
• Winner of FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Shoe and Silver Ball in 1997
• Top scorer titles in Rio-São Paulo Tournament (1997, 2000) and Brazilian Cup (1998, 1999)
• Multiple leading scorer awards in Copa Mercosur and Brazilian league seasons (2000, 2001, 2005)
• Recipient of Bola de Ouro and Bola de Prata; multiple-time CBF Golden Boot winner
• Earned FIFA Club World Cup Bronze Ball in year 2000
• Selected for FIFA World Cup Dream Team (2002) and included on FIFA 100 list (2004)
• USL First Division MVP and top scorer honors achieved in 2006
• Special recognitions such as Prêmio Craque do Brasileirão (2007) and Golden Foot Legends Award (2007)
• Named to Marca World Cups All-Time Team (2014) and inducted into International Football Hall of Fame – Pachuca, Mexico
• Inductee of Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame
• Ballon d'Or winner in year 1994
• Honored with Globe Soccer Awards Player Career Award in 2022

See also

• Compilation of male footballers who have scored 500+ goals