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Published 11:23 8 Jun 2021 BST
Updated 16:57 8 Jun 2022 BST
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By then, there was a strong sense that something was awry inside the Brazil camp. Rumours that something had happened to Ronaldo in the hours leading up to the game started to swirl.
When both he and his teammates turned in a below-par performance on the night, losing 3-0, the sense that something significant had taken place grew stronger.
For years, the details of precisely what took place have remained shrouded in mystery, becoming the subject of several conspiracy theories.
"I asked if they could leave and go talk somewhere else because I wanted to sleep.
"Then [teammate] Leonardo asked me to go for a walk in the garden in the hotel where we were staying and explained the whole situation.
"I was told that I wouldn't play in the World Cup final."
Despite being told he was set to miss the game, subsequent medical exams showed there was nothing wrong. Armed with that, he informed Zagallo he would be starting the game after all.
"All the essential medical exams didn't show anything was abnormal - it was like nothing had happened. After that we went to the stadium with a message from Zagallo saying that I wouldn't play.
"I had test results in my hand - with Dr [Lidio] Toledo giving the green light.
"I approached Zagallo at the stadium and said: ‘I’m fine. I'm not feeling anything. Here are the test results, they’re fine. I want to play.’
"I didn't give him an alternative. He had no choice and accepted my decision."
Ronaldo went on to admit that the incident possibly had a negative impact on his teammates' performance against France, who claimed their first World Cup with two goals from Zinedine Zidane and another from Emmanuel Petit. "I played and maybe I affected the whole team because that convulsion was certainly something very scary. It's not something you see every day."In any case, I had a duty to my country and I didn't want to miss it. I had my honour and felt that I could play. Obviously it wasn't one of the best matches in my career, but I was there to fulfil my role."
An inquest was launched in Brazil's national conference to determine what had taken place. It was established that Ronaldo had returned to his hotel room with Roberto Carlos after lunch and began to have a fit.
Edmundo, alerted by Roberto Carlos' calls for help, was one of the first on the scene, quickly followed - reports claimed - by defender Cesar Sampaio, who began to administer first aid and unravelled Ronaldo's tongue to prevent him from swallowing it. Ronaldo fell asleep after the convulsion ended, with Leonardo later insisting he was told about what had happened.
Following a series of tests, he was given the all-clear to play two and a half hours before kick-off.
Toledo, Brazil's doctor, was one of those to carry out the examination of Ronaldo. Speaking to the commission, he suggested he was powerless to stop him from playing. "Imagine if I stopped him playing and Brazil lost," he said. "At that moment I’d have to go and live on the North Pole."
Other theories were presented. Ronaldo's collapse could have been linked to painkillers he was prescribed for a slight knee injury, it was suggested. Brazil's medical team dismissed this, saying the medicine used was not strong enough to trigger a fit.
There is still, to this day, a feeling that there is more to this, that the exact truth has never been uncovered. For Ronaldo, however, there was a happy ending to the story. Four years later, he appeared in another World Cup final, scoring both goals for Brazil as they beat Germany in Tokyo.
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