The CONSPIRACY Of The 1998 World Cup

The 1998 World Cup Final had only one headline, Ronaldo and Brazil versus Zidane and France. Hey guys, my name is Raymar and today we're gonna take a look at the conspiracy of the 1998 World Cup Final. Just before the beginning of the World Cup in Paris, Zinedine Zidane was voted the best player in the world and was awarded with the Ballon d'Or. Just one year ago in 1997, Ronaldo was the recipient of the very same award and title. France and Brazil were clearly high favors to make it to the final as they both had one of the two best football players in the world. Zidane and Ronaldo are no strangers to one another as they have both been playing in the Italian league Serie A. Zidane for Juventus and Ronaldo for Inter Milan. Between the two, Zidane has experienced much more success already having been a league champion three times. While Ronaldo and Brazil were looking to defend their title of world champions back in the previous World Cup of 1994, both Brazil and France easily sweeped through their groups to make it to the round of 16. Brazil would go on to defeat Chile, Denmark, and the Netherlands, while the host nation of France would go on to win against Paraguay, Italy, and Croatia. As the World Cup Final approached, many were anxiously waiting to see Ronaldo and Zidane go head to head. Ronaldo, being one of the top goalscorers of the tournament, had a tremendous amount of pressure to perform well and carry his team and country to another victory. When people thought of Brazil, they thought of Ronaldo. He was the superstar that everyone had their eyes on. However, just a few hours before the final itself, word broke out that Ronaldo suddenly fell very ill and was rushed to the hospital. The entire Brazilian squad was confused and undoubtedly worried about their star striker. But out of nowhere, Ronaldo returns just 40 minutes before the game, being declared completely fit to play despite the current shape that he was in. As the match started, Ronaldo was clearly out of it. He wasn't playing aggressively and just didn't have the determination or spark to perform. Brazil, in turn, seemed completely defeated. It was like watching a completely different team, playing poor defense, carelessly passing and handling the ball, and certain details and events happening to Ronaldo prior to the day of the final. The night before the World Cup final, there were reports that Ronaldo may have suffered a minor seizure. His roommates, along with staff doctors, witnessed Ronaldo having convulsions in his hotel room, shaking uncontrollably and balled up on the floor. Now, throughout the course of the World Cup, Ronaldo's doctors have been prescribing him a painkiller called Voltaren. This is to help with and other minor injuries he's been experiencing throughout the tournament. Voltaren's side effects do not mention any seizures or convulsions, but they do include stomach pain, dizziness, and headaches, which would help explain the horrible state Ronaldo was in prior to the final. Now, from these events, a couple of solid conclusions have surfaced into conspiracy. If the situation with Ronaldo's health is true, and he really was sick before the game, the first most likely theory is that Nike forced Ronaldo to play. Now, the World Cup is not only the biggest stage in world football, but it is also the most watched sporting event in the world, with a constant amount of over 500 million viewers on average, making it the perfect opportunity for a company to give their brand some monumental exposure. This commercial playing right now is a perfect example. Ronaldo was the poster boy of Nike. The company invested a fortune on marketing and advertising and could not afford to let their star player sit out on the world's most viewed televised event. The World Cup final also proved to be a clash for Nike and Adidas. As Nike sponsored Ronaldo and Brazil, Adidas on the other hand stood behind France and their superstar Zinedine Zidane. Nike could not let their biggest competitor outdo them. So according to the theory, the Brazilian Football Confederation also had a contract with Nike, stating that they must play Ronaldo throughout the entire tournament, and together, they backed Ronaldo into a corner by threatening to cancel his sponsorship deal and seemingly forced him to play the final. The head of the Brazilian Football Confederation allegedly walked into the dressing room and personally told coach Mario Zagallo to add Ronaldo back into the starting lineup. The second theory is somewhat relatable to the first. This theory claims that the Brazilian Football Confederation, along with Brazilian government officials, accepted an offer to bribe the Brazilian squad with 30 million dollars to throw the match and let France win. Along with the bribes, Brazil would be offered an easy pass into the 2002 World Cup and would have a chance to secure the rights to hosting a World Cup within the next decade, which is exactly what happened when they hosted the 2014 World Cup. Ronaldo refused to throw the match away but was again forced by Nike to play the game. So regardless of the theories, the fact is that France played their hearts out and won the tournament fair and square. Zidane proved himself worthy of his blonde aur and showed the world why he was indeed the best and cemented his name as one of the greatest to ever play the game. Ronaldo and Brazil shouldn't make any excuses for what happened. The only solid truth regarding this entire controversy was that Ronaldo was legitimately ill leading up to the final match. Doctors called me to another room and he explained to me that I had a convulsion and I know that we will not play and I say no it's not possible I want to play I will play.