Ronaldo shed tears when announcing his retirement at a press conference.

In February 2011, after Corinthians were eliminated from the 2011 Copa Libertadores by the Colombian team Deportes Tolima, Ronaldo announced his retirement from football.

At an emotional press conference on 14 February, 2011, the Brazil striker admitted that his body had finally succumbed to the crippling litany of injuries that have blighted his career. "It's very hard to leave something that made me so happy," he said. "Mentally I wanted to continue but I have to acknowledge that I lost to my body."