Romário facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Romário
Official portrait, 2023
Senator for Rio de Janeiro
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 February 2015
Preceded by	Francisco Dornelles
Second Vice President of the Federal Senate
In office 1 February 2021 – 1 February 2023
President	Rodrigo Pacheco
Preceded by	Izalci Lucas
Succeeded by	Rodrigo Cunha
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office 1 February 2011 – 1 February 2015
Constituency	Rio de Janeiro
Personal details
Born	(1966-01-29) 29 January 1966 (age 59) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Political party	PL (2021–present)
Other political affiliations	PP (2001–2009) PSB (2009–2017) PODE (2017–2021)
Height	1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)
Spouses	Mônica Santoro ​ ​ (m. 1988; div. 1995)​ Danielle Favatto ​ ​ (m. 1996; div. 2001)​ Isabelle Bittencourt ​ ​ (m. 2002; div. 2014)​
Children	7, including Romarinho
Profession	Footballer, politician
Association football career Position(s) Striker Youth career 1979–1980 Olaria 1981–1985 Vasco da Gama Senior career* Years Team Apps (Gls) 1985–1988 Vasco da Gama 141 (80) 1988–1993 PSV Eindhoven 110 (98) 1993–1995 Barcelona 46 (34) 1995–1996 Flamengo 59 (60) 1996–1997 Valencia 11 (5) 1997 → Flamengo (loan) 22 (21) 1998–1999 Flamengo 65 (34) 2000–2002 Vasco da Gama 73 (79) 2002–2004 Fluminense 73 (45) 2003 → Al Sadd (loan) 3 (0) 2005–2006 Vasco da Gama 50 (35) 2006 Miami FC 25 (19) 2006 → Adelaide United (loan) 4 (1) 2007 Vasco da Gama 15 (13) 2009 America-RJ 1 (0) 2024– America-RJ 0 (0) Total 698 (542) International career 1985 Brazil U20 11 (11) 1988 Brazil U23 7 (8) 1987–2005 Brazil 70 (55) Managerial career 2007 Vasco da Gama (interim) 2008 Vasco da Gama Medal record Men's football Representing  Brazil FIFA World Cup Winner 1994 United States FIFA Confederations Cup Winner 1997 Saudi Arabia Copa América Winner 1989 Brazil Winner 1997 Bolivia Olympic Games Silver 1988 Seoul Team CONCACAF Gold Cup Third 1998 USA South American U-20 Championship Winner 1985 Paraguay *Club domestic league appearances and goals

Romário de Souza Faria (born January 29, 1966), known simply as Romário, is a famous Brazilian politician and former professional footballer. He is currently a Senior Senator for Rio de Janeiro and the president of the football club America-RJ.

Romário was an amazing striker known for scoring many goals. He scored over 700 goals for his clubs and country. Many people think he is one of the greatest forwards of all time. He was a key player for Brazil when they won the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He even won the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball as the best player of that tournament. In the same year, he was named FIFA World Player of the Year.

He was also chosen for the FIFA World Cup Dream Team in 2002. In 2004, he was named in the FIFA 100 list, which features the world's greatest living players. Romário started his political career in 2010. He was elected as a deputy and later became a senator in 2014.

Playing for Clubs

Early Football Days

Romário grew up in humble beginnings. He was discovered playing for Olaria, a small club in Rio de Janeiro. He then joined the junior team of Vasco da Gama. There, he helped them win two state league titles in 1987 and 1988. His talent also earned him his first calls to play for the national team. He became well-known internationally after being the top scorer at the 1988 Olympic football tournament.

Success with PSV Eindhoven

Romário training with PSV in February 1989

After the Olympics, Romário moved to PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands in 1988. He helped PSV win the Eredivisie (Dutch league) three times: in 1989, 1991, and 1992. He was known for being great at scoring goals even in small spaces near the goal. Romário scored an amazing 165 goals in 167 games during his five seasons at PSV.

His coach at PSV, Guus Hiddink, once said that Romário was very confident. Romário would tell him, "Take it easy, coach, I'm going to score and we’re going to win." And often, he did!

Joining Barcelona's Dream Team

In 1993, Romário joined Barcelona for the 1993–94 season. He became a key part of Johan Cruyff's famous "Dream Team." He played alongside stars like Hristo Stoichkov, Michael Laudrup, and Ronald Koeman. He helped Barcelona win the La Liga title in his first season. He was also the top goalscorer in the league with 30 goals in 33 matches.

Barcelona also reached the 1994 UEFA Champions League final that year. One of Romário's best games was when he scored three goals in a 5–0 win against Real Madrid. He scored a spectacular opening goal by dribbling the ball around a defender and then kicking it into the net. He also scored against Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League.

Romário was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1994. He left Barcelona in January 1995 after some disagreements with coach Cruyff.

Playing for Flamengo and Valencia

In 1995, Romário returned to Brazil to play for Flamengo. He stayed there for five years, with two short breaks to play in Spain. He briefly played for Valencia in Spain in 1996 and 1997. However, he had some arguments with the coach and was loaned back to Flamengo. He returned to Valencia for a short time in 1997 but soon went back to Flamengo.

Return to Vasco and Fluminense

Romário rejoined Vasco da Gama in 2000. He teamed up with another great striker, Edmundo. Together, they led Vasco to the final of the 2000 FIFA Club World Championship. Romário was the joint-top goalscorer in that tournament. They famously beat European champions Manchester United 3–1, with Romário scoring two goals.

At 34 years old, Romário had one of his best seasons. He won the Copa Mercosur and the Brazilian league title with Vasco. He was named the South American Footballer of the Year and Brazilian Footballer of the Year. He was also the Brazilian league's top goalscorer in 2000 and 2001.

From 2002 to 2004, he played for Fluminense. He also had a short time playing in Qatar for Al Sadd. In 2005, at 39 years old, Romário scored 22 goals in the Brazilian Championship. This made him the league's top goalscorer for the third time.

Later Career and Thousandth Goal

In 2006, Romário joined Miami FC in the United States. He helped them reach their first-ever playoffs, scoring 19 goals. He also played a few games for Adelaide United in Australia. In January 2007, he signed a new deal with Vasco da Gama.

On May 20, 2007, Romário scored what he claimed was his 1000th goal. It was a penalty kick for Vasco da Gama against Sport Recife. The game was stopped for over 20 minutes for celebrations! There is some discussion about whether all 1000 goals were in official games, as his count included youth and friendly matches. FIFA officially counts him with 929 goals. Vasco da Gama even put up a statue of Romário at their stadium, São Januário, to celebrate this milestone.

Romário briefly became an interim manager for Vasco in 2007. He even played in a match while also being the coach!

Retirement and Comebacks

Romário announced his retirement from playing and coaching in February 2008. He said his weight was a big reason for his decision. He officially retired from playing football on April 15, 2008. He had played for many clubs across five continents for over two decades. He scored 71 goals in 85 games for Brazil.

In August 2009, Romário decided to play again for America from Rio de Janeiro. He said he wanted to fulfill his late father's wishes. He played one game in November 2009, helping America win a championship.

In 2024, at 58 years old, Romário made another comeback! He registered as a player-president for America in the 2024 Campeonato Carioca Série A2. He planned to play alongside his son, Romarinho.

Playing for Brazil

Romário's No.11 Brazil shirt

Romário was a key player for the Brazil national team. He won a silver Olympic medal in Seoul in 1988, being the top scorer with seven goals. He became a national hero in 1989 when he scored the only goal in the 1989 Copa América final against Uruguay. This win ended Brazil's long wait for a trophy. He played in the World Cups of 1990 and 1994. He scored 55 goals in 70 official international matches, making him the fourth-highest goalscorer in Brazil's history.

1990 World Cup Journey

Romário was a big star before the 1990 World Cup in Italy. However, he got a serious injury a few months before the tournament. Even though he recovered and was in the squad, he only played 66 minutes in one match. Brazil was knocked out early in the tournament.

Winning the 1994 World Cup

Romário and his 1994 teammate Dunga (far left), with Brazil president Lula, hold the World Cup trophy

In 1992, Romário was left out of the national team by coach Carlos Alberto Parreira. This made many fans and journalists upset. Brazil struggled in the World Cup qualifiers. They needed to win or tie against Uruguay to qualify. Parreira finally called Romário back for this important match. Romário famously said, "I already know what is going to happen: I'm going to finish Uruguay." Brazil won 2–0, with Romário scoring both goals, and qualified for the World Cup!

At the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Romário played with Bebeto in attack. They led Brazil to win their fourth World Cup title. Romário scored five goals in the tournament. He scored in each of the first three group matches. He also scored against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals and the winning goal against Sweden in the semifinals.

In the final against Italy, the game ended in a 0–0 draw. Romário scored Brazil's second penalty in the shootout, which Brazil won 3–2. He won the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament. He was also named to the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team.

Romário and Bebeto also created one of the most famous goal celebrations. After Bebeto scored against the Netherlands, he started rocking an imaginary baby. Romário and Mazinho joined him, rocking along.

The Ro-Ro Attack

After the 1994 World Cup, Romário formed a powerful attacking duo with Ronaldo. They were called the Ro-Ro duo. They won the 1997 Copa América together, scoring eight goals between them. In December 1997, they both scored three goals each in a 6–0 win against Australia in the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup final. Romário was the top scorer in that tournament with seven goals.

Missing World Cups

Romário was left out of the 1998 FIFA World Cup squad due to a muscular injury. He tried hard to recover but wasn't fully fit. Brazil lost the final to France that year.

Before the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Romário was playing very well for Vasco da Gama. However, coach Luiz Felipe Scolari decided not to pick him for the national team. This was due to some past issues with discipline. Without Romário, Brazil went on to win the World Cup for the fifth time.

Final Game for Brazil

Romário at FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland in 2007 at the announcement of Brazil being named hosts of the 2014 FIFA World Cup

On April 27, 2005, Romário played his last game for the Brazil national team. It was a friendly match where he wore the captain's armband. He scored the second goal in Brazil's 3–0 win against Guatemala. After his playing career with Brazil ended, Romário helped campaign for Brazil to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Other Sports: Footvolley and Beach Soccer

Romário has always loved footvolley, a sport that combines football and volleyball. He has played in many tournaments. In 2006, he won a footvolley tournament in Miami Beach, USA. He was also runner-up in the 2011 Footvolley World Championship. He also plays Beach soccer and represented Brazil at the 2005 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.

How Romário Played

Romário is considered one of the greatest and most successful strikers ever. His coach at Barcelona, Johan Cruyff, called him a "genius of the goal area." Ronaldo, who played with him, said Romário was the most important player he ever played with. He learned a lot from Romário's goal-scoring skills.

Romário was nicknamed Baixinho, which means "The Little One" or "Shorty" in Portuguese. He was very agile and had great balance. Even though he was small, he was strong, which helped him in tight spaces. He was known for his quick speed over short distances and his ability to trick defenders. He scored many different types of goals, often with a quick "toe-poke" shot. He was also good at dribbling and using fancy moves to get past players.

Romário was known for being in the right place at the right time to score goals. He was smart about finding open space in the penalty area. Besides scoring, he was also fast and creative, often setting up goals for his teammates. He formed great partnerships with other talented forwards like Stoichkov, Edmundo, and Bebeto.

Media and Endorsements

Romário has appeared in commercials for the sportswear company Nike. In 1998, he was in a Nike commercial set in an airport with other famous Brazilian players like Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos. He is also featured in EA Sports' FIFA video game series.

Political Career

Romário in the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil on May 6, 2010

In 2010, Romário was elected to the Chamber of Deputies as part of the Brazilian Socialist Party. He was one of the most voted candidates in Rio de Janeiro.

He spoke out against corruption related to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He was elected as a senator in 2014, receiving the most votes ever for a candidate from Rio de Janeiro state.

In 2017, Romário joined a new political party called Podemos. He became the president of the party in Rio de Janeiro. In 2018, he ran for governor of Rio de Janeiro but finished in fourth place. In 2021, he joined the Liberal Party.

Personal Life

Romário has seven children, including his son Romarinho, who is also a footballer. Romarinho also played for Vasco da Gama.

Career Statistics

Club

International

List of international goals scored by Romário

Scores and results list Brazil's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Romário goal.

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1	28 May 1987	Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland	Finland	1–1	3–2	Friendly
2	1 June 1987	Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan, Israel	Israel	1–0	4–0	Friendly
3				3–0
4	28 June 1987	Estadio Olímpico Chateau Carreras, Córdoba, Argentina	Venezuela	5–0	5–0	1987 Copa América
5	7 July 1988	Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne, Australia	Australia	1–0	1–0	Australia Bicentenary Gold Cup
6	17 July 1988	Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney, Australia		1–0	2–0	Australia Bicentenary Gold Cup
7	12 July 1989	Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Argentina	2–0	2–0	1989 Copa América
8	14 July 1989	Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Paraguay	3–0	3–0	1989 Copa América
9	16 July 1989	Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Uruguay	1–0	1–0	1989 Copa América
10	30 July 1989	Estadio Brígido Iriarte, Caracas, Venezuela	Venezuela	2–0	4–0	1990 World Cup qualifier
11	19 September 1993	Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Uruguay	1–0	2–0	1994 World Cup qualifier
12				2–0
13	5 June 1994	Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Canada	Canada	1–0	1–1	Friendly
14	8 June 1994	Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, United States	Honduras	1–0	8–2	Friendly
15				2–0
16				5–1
17	12 June 1994	Bulldog Stadium, Fresno, United States	El Salvador	1–0	4–0	Friendly
18	20 June 1994	Stanford Stadium, Stanford, United States	Russia	1–0	2–0	1994 FIFA World Cup
19	24 June 1994	Stanford Stadium, Stanford, United States	Cameroon	1–0	3–0	1994 FIFA World Cup
20	28 June 1994	Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, United States	Sweden	1–1	1–1	1994 FIFA World Cup
21	9 July 1994	Cotton Bowl, Dallas, United States	Netherlands	1–0	3–2	1994 FIFA World Cup
22	13 July 1994	Rose Bowl, Pasadena, United States	Sweden	1–0	1–0	1994 FIFA World Cup
23	2 April 1997	Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha, Brasília, Brazil	Chile	1–0	4–0	Friendly
24				3–0
25	30 April 1997	Orange Bowl, Miami, United States	Mexico	2–0	4–0	Friendly
26				3–0
27				4–0
28	31 May 1997	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway	Norway	1–1	2–4	Friendly
29	8 June 1997	Stade de Gerland, Lyon, France	Italy	3–3	3–3	Tournoi de France
30	10 June 1997	Parc des Princes, Paris, France	England	1–0	1–0	Tournoi de France
31	13 June 1997	Estadio Ramón Aguilera, Santa Cruz, Bolivia	Costa Rica	5–0	5–0	1997 Copa América
32	26 June 1997	Estadio Ramón Aguilera, Santa Cruz, Bolivia	Peru	3–0	7–0	1997 Copa América
33				5–0
34	7 December 1997	Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa	South Africa	1–0	2–1	Friendly
35	12 December 1997	King Fahd II Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	Saudi Arabia	2–0	3–0	1997 FIFA Confederations Cup
36				3–0
37	16 December 1997	King Fahd II Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	Mexico	1–0	3–2	1997 FIFA Confederations Cup
38	19 December 1997	King Fahd II Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	Czech Republic	1–0	2–0	1997 FIFA Confederations Cup
39	21 December 1997	King Fahd II Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	Australia	3–0	6–0	1997 FIFA Confederations Cup
40				4–0
41				6–0
42	5 February 1998	Orange Bowl, Miami, United States	Guatemala	1–1	1–1	1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup
43	8 February 1998	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, United States	El Salvador	2–0	4–0	1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup
44	15 February 1998		Jamaica	1–0	1–0	1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup
45	3 September 2000	Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Bolivia	1–0	5–0	2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
46				3–0
47				4–0
48	8 October 2000	Estadio Jose Pachencho Romero, Maracaibo, Venezuela	Venezuela	3–0	6–0	2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
49				4–0
50				5–0
51				6–0
52	7 March 2001	Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico	Mexico	2–2	3–3	Friendly
53				3–3
54	25 April 2001	Estádio do Morumbi, São Paulo, Brazil	Peru	1–1	1–1	2002 World Cup qualifier
55	27 April 2005	Estádio do Pacaembu, São Paulo, Brazil	Guatemala	2–0	3–0	Friendly

Honours and Awards

See also

In Spanish: Romário para niños

• List of men's footballers with 500 or more goals