Ronaldo (right) celebrates his second goal. (Allsport)

Sir Tom Finney hailed Ronaldo as the "best striker in the world" after his second-half double against Germany crowned Brazil world champions.

The Inter Milan hitman refused to shy away after squandering three glorious first-half chance to secure the Golden Shoe with eight World Cup goals for the tournament and that was despite being short of match fitness following injury.

England legend Finney said: "He is the best striker in the world I'm so pleased for him after the World Cup four years ago - it's good to see a player like that doing the business.

"He is so clinical and frightening to watch yet alone play against. He's not the sort of player to let things get him down.

"He missed three chances but like all the best players he took his chances after that. That is the mark of a great player."

The man who discovered Ronaldo at Dutch club PSV Eindhoven was also a proud man.

PSV technical director Frank Arnessen was behind his move from Brazil at an early age and claimed Ronaldo always had the potential to go right to the top.

"I'm very happy on behalf of Ronaldo," he said. "I don't think players like Ronaldo are discovered - even a blind man could see he could play football.

"It's just about being in the right place at the right time and I was there when he was 16 and we jumped in ahead of everyone else.

"He had tremendous talent and fortunately we got him to join PSV. He was already physically strong, tremendously quick and his touch on the ball was fantastic.

"If you had to compare him with Romario, he took maybe two touches where Ronaldo gets the ball and he just goes for goal.

"He is quick enough and strong enough to go on his own. It's very difficult to come over from Brazil, but he managed without any problems and scored over 30 goals in his first year."

The former Barcelona star has been linked with a move to Manchester United and his old mentor reckons he would be a huge success in the Barclaycard Premiership.

"A player like Ronaldo can play all over the world," Arnessen told Sky Sports News.

"He's physically strong and can take a challenge from the best defender so he would have a lot of success in England."

But while Ronaldo was a national hero, Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn will be coming to terms with his devastation.

After a brilliant World Cup campaign he suffered a similar curse to the one which struck David Seaman down and Finney concedes that his mistake will overshadow his overall contribution to their success.

The England goalkeeper was also having a brilliant finals before one error cost him dear to allow Ronaldinho score Brazil's freak quarter-final winner.

Finney added: "I felt sorry for the goalkeeper because that was the only mistake he made.

"He has made some brilliant saves before that, but you only remember those sorts of things after a competition.

"He will now be remembered as the goalkeeper who gave Brazil the goal and cost them the game, but overall he has been the best goalkeeper at the World Cup."

Kahn's blunder changed the game, but former England striker Ian Wright insisted that he cannot be held responsible for Germany's final heartbreak.

"I wonder how the Germans will react to Oliver Kahn? He's been great for Germany. That's just so unfortunate. I don't think you can blame him."

Alan Hansen was also sympathetic for the Bayern Munich player - and one of the stars of the tournament.

He said: "That's the nature of the position - you make one mistake as a goalkeeper and you pay for it."

But Martin O'Neill saluted Brazil coach Luiz Filipe Scolari after he ignored criticism back home to lead his side to the World Cup in Japan and South Korea.

Ronaldo stole the headlines with two goals to exorcise the misery of France '98, but O'Neill claims Scolari also deserves to be made a national hero.

The Celtic manager told the BBC: "Scolari left a lot of players out of the squad and he got a lot of criticism for it.

"But there's nothing better than a coach who gets it right and when you lift that trophy you've got it right."

Ronaldo's club coach Hector Cuper hailed the brilliant Brazilian as one of the greats of world football.

"Ronaldo has played a great World Cup, he has become one of the greats of world football and this final was outstanding," said the Inter Milan chief.

"I'm proud and happy, he really did do well, with two goals that show his extraordinary repertoire.

"This was Ronaldo's World Cup and at Inter we're very pleased. We're counting on him for a great season."