Many of the greatest World Cup moments have a compelling subplot behind them, and that was certainly the case in 2002 when Ronaldo netted against Germany in the final.
Ostensibly, the strike was of importance as the Brazilian put the showpiece clash in Yokohama - a showdown between the two most successful sides in the competition's history - to bed after taking the tie beyond Germany.
Ronaldo had scored the opener soon after the half-hour mark when he capitalised on a rare Oliver Kahn fumble to poke home past the veteran Bayern Munich.
He then added a second 11 minutes from time when, demonstrating the remarkable instant reaction speed and capacity for invention that he'd shown earlier in his career, he pulled the ball out from under his feet, evaded the lunge of Gerald Asamoah, and slammed home past Kahn.
On the biggest stage of them all, Ronaldo had reminded the world of his enduring class.
It was a performance - and specifically a 20-minute spell - that completed a remarkable personal turnaround for O Gordo.
After starring during France 98, the attacker had been laid out by a mystery seizure on the eve of the final against the hosts, and the match ultimately passed him by.
Indeed, the image of the previously irrepressible Ronaldo cutting a dejected figure as the fixture appeared to pass him by was a desperate conclusion to what had been an outstanding month for the Brazilian.
So, in 2002, he got the chance to put the demons to bed, and while he was perhaps never quite the same player again after a spate of devastating injuries, at least the final against Germany gave him the opportunity to write his own story on the biggest fixture in the game's history.
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