By David Prior, PA Sport

Ronaldo enhanced his reputation as one of the game's greatest-ever strikers by scoring the two goals that gave Brazil their fifth World Cup crown in Yokohama.

Four years after heartbreak in Paris, when a suspected fit hours before the 1998 final effectively cost the South Americans the chance of victory over France, the 25-year-old looked back to his best in clinically pouncing twice late on to defeat Germany.

Ronaldo's form in the tournament - his eight goals are the biggest haul at the finals since Gerd Muller in 1970 - will re-ignite debate about how he rates alongside his mentor, Pele.

In years to come this final will undoubtedly come to be seen as Ronaldo's final - in the same way the legendary number 10 made the 1970 final his own - and the day his glorious return from injury was confirmed.

But could he ever be better than Edson Arantes Do Nascimento, the man who scored a phenomenal 1,280 goals in 1,362 games?

Time is certainly on the goofy striker's side.

He has scored 12 goals in World Cup finals - a fantastic achievement for one so young and with at least a further two finals still in him, he could easily surpass the current record for World Cup goals scored - Gerd Muller's 14.

Ironically Pele also notched a dozen strikes in his four World Cup finals, although his chances were limited by injuries at the 1962 and 1966 finals.

During his reign, Brazil won the World Cup three times in 12 years.

With every touch of the ball, Pele was capable of coming up with something new - something the fans had never seen before.

With a killer instinct in front of goal, an eye for the perfect pass and legendary dribbling skills, Pele was just about the perfect footballer.

Brazil won the right to keep the Jules Rimet trophy after winning it for a third time with arguably the greatest team of all time, in 1970.

Pele had become a living legend. The day after the final the Sunday Times headline summed it up: "How do you spell Pele? G-O-D."

Ronaldo has now delivered the game's greatest prize to his country.

He is simply lethal in front of goal. Throughout this World Cup The grinning magician - nicknamed Il Phenomenon - Ronaldo has demonstrated the brilliance that brought him the world footballer of the year title twice.

But the best-ever World Cup striker? For the moment that title is Pele's; but by Germany 2006, Brazilian football could well have a new king.