Brazilians and Football have a different connection altogether. Brazilian footballers are famously known for their freestyle football and flair in their style of play. The five-time world cup winning country has produced legends like Pele, Rivaldo, Kaka, Neymar, Marcelo, and many more. But the sad truth is that many good players get overshadowed under these legends. The South American country has produced many quality players so it becomes difficult for a footballer from that country to make a name for himself. Ricardo Oliveira is one such player.
Oliviera scored the fastest goal in football 2.8 seconds but not many people know him. The striker was born in Sao Paulo the heart of Brazil. Currently, the world's fastest goal listed in the Guinness book is one of 2.8 seconds which was scored by the Oliveira for Rio Negro against Soriano on December 26, 1998.
Ricardo made his debut for the Brazil national team against the Catalan XI on 25 May 2004, scoring in a 5–1 win. However, the game was not considered an official friendly match by FIFA. Oliveira represented his country from 2004 to 2016 and helped the national team win one Copa America and one Confederations Cup. In his international career span, he has made 16 appliances and scored five goals.
He was subsequently included in the squad for the 2004 Copa America, winning his first cap on July 8, 2004 against Paraguay. During the event, he also scored his first international goal, in the quarter-final match against Mexico on the 18th, as Brazil went on to win the cup.
His club career has been quite average though he still managed to add some silverware to his name. However, after only one season, Oliveira joined Real Betis for a reported fee of 4 million euros. He scored a career-best 22 league goals in 37 appearances as the club reached the UEFA Champions League for the first time ever after finishing fourth. He also won the season’s Copa Del Rey against CA Osasuna with the player netting the first in a 2–1 extra-time win.
The Serie A giants had just lost Andriy Shevchenko after the 2006 Italian football scandal, and signed Oliveira as his replacement on 31 August 2006, to a five-year deal. Johann Vogel moved in the opposite position as part of the deal after the two clubs negotiated nearly a week over the transfer fee, which reportedly reached €17.5 million.
Ricardo Oliveira made his debut in the second half of the 2006–07 opening-day match against S.S. Lazio, heading past Angelo Peruzzi from the goal line in a 2–1 home win. However, he scored only twice more after that for the Rossoneri in the league, adding two more in their run in the Coppa Italia; he spent most of the season under the stress of the October 2006 kidnapping of his sister, Maria Lourdes, who was released unharmed on 12 March 2007.
Currently, Ricardo plays for Athletic Club, based in his hometown Sao Paulo.
