Brazil celebrate Ronaldo's opener. (Allsport)

By Mark Bradley, PA Sport Chief Soccer Writer, Yokohama

It will be known, quite simply, as the Ronaldo World Cup.

Just as Geoff Hurst spearheaded England's success in 1966 and Diego Maradona dragged a fading Argentina side to victory in 1986, so too will the resurgence of Ronaldo be synonymous with the 2002 World Cup.

Having eclipsed the 1998 tournament for all the wrong reasons, the Brazil striker turned the 2002 final against Germany into a stunning feat of personal salvation.

For 45 minutes of pure frustration, it had seemed as though the nightmare which he experienced in the Stade de France was about to be repeated as a hat-trick of chances went begging.

However, Ronaldo has not shown the mental fortitude to recover from that lowest of lows, coupled with two years of injury torment, for no reason.

Strength must indeed come through adversity. For the 25-year-old striker's response was emphatic.

Just once before had Oliver Kahn picked the ball out of the net at this World Cup.

But in the space of just 12 second-half minutes in Yokohama, he was twice beaten by Ronaldo, the first time as a result of a fateful handling error that was his first - and last - mistake of the tournament.

The records duly went tumbling.

Ronaldo became the golden boot winner with eight goals, the most in a single tournament since Gerd Muller in 1970, and thereby equalling Pele's overall World Cup tally of a dozen.

It was a personal triumph, with redemption in public on a scale that not even David Beckham managed in scoring against Argentina.

And only when Ronaldo had been substituted to a standing ovation did he allow the enormity of what he had just achieved to start to sink in.

While the match carried on, he was swept into the bear-like grip of one of the Brazilian coaching staff and let the tears unashamedly flow.

Indeed, even two hours later, he admitted that he was still only "slowly, slowly starting to understand what has happened".

Where four years ago, there had been pain, now there was unrestrained elation.

Contrasting the two faces of Ronaldo, in 1998 and 2002, was to see the two extremes of the spectrum of emotions.

In the Stade de France, he had been a pitiful shadow of his normal self after being laid low by a seizure on the day of the game.

In Yokohama, 'Il Phenomeno' was back doing what he does best.

He may still not be at his sharpest after a thigh injury but there are few, if any, goalscorers who can compete with his finishing prowess.

Not that it had seemed like that in the first-half at least.

Germany may have been written off as an unadventurous, defence-minded team playing beyond all expectations but they certainly made a game of it.

Their problem was that for all their possession, with Bernd Schneider especially impressive, they failed to trouble Marcos before he produced a stunning save just after the break to tip Oliver Neuville's free-kick onto the post.

By then, Ronaldo had already wasted three openings, clipping one shot wide, seeing his first touch let him down the second time and then sending a shot cannoning into Kahn's legs.

Kleberson also pulled one shot wide and curled a 20-yard effort onto the face of the crossbar, but Germany were being pushed deeper and deeper.

The game was turning in Brazil's favour and, once Marcos had intervened so acrobatically, fate turned against his opposite number.

Kahn, who had a superb tournament, had already escaped after fumbling one header by Gilberto Silva, tearing a ligament in one finger at the same time, but Ronaldo punished his second slip.

When the Germany keeper failed to gather a drive by Rivaldo - his first impact amid a strangely lifeless display - that was all the invitation Ronaldo needed to sweep the loose ball home.

It was, bizarrely enough, Brazil's first goal in three consecutive World Cup finals after defeating Italy in a shoot-out after a goalless draw in 1994 and losing so tamely 3-0 to France in 1998.

At least it was not the only goal of this game. With 12 minutes left, Rivaldo displayed incredible vision to dummy Kleberson's left-wing cross and leave Ronaldo to pounce again with instant control and a deft finish.

Germany threw on substitute Oliver Bierhoff, who was also denied by Marcos, but the result was in little doubt by then.

Rudi Voeller's injury-hit side had given everything - especially in the added absence of Michael Ballack through suspension - but, for once in this World Cup of shocks, the better team had won.

England's quarter-final conquerors had grown with the occasion, just as they had grown throughout the World Cup and class had finally told against teamwork.

What is more, the World Cup final had provided a fitting climax.

For with his two flashes of genius, Ronaldo had saved not only the reputation of himself and Brazil but also the tournament as a whole.

Teams:

Germany: Kahn, Linke, Ramelow, Metzelder, Frings, Schneider, Jeremies (Asamoah 77), Hamann, Bode (Ziege 84), Neuville, Klose (Bierhoff 73).

Subs Not Used: Baumann, Bohme, Butt, Jancker, Kehl, Lehmann, Rehmer, Ricken.

Booked: Klose.

Brazil: Marcos, Edmilson, Lucio, Roque Junior, Cafu, Kleberson, Gilberto, Carlos, Ronaldinho (Juninho Paulista 85), Rivaldo, Ronaldo (Denilson 90).

Subs Not Used: Belleti, Ceni, Dida, Edilson, Junior, Kaka, Luizao, Polga, Ricardinho, Vampeta.

Booked: Roque Junior.

Goals: Ronaldo 68, 79.

Att: 69,029

Ref: Pierluigi Collina (Italy)