It started with initial rumours of the existence of a future superstar at Cruzeiro, which were in no way dispelled by reports of his fine performances for PSV Eindhoven once he had moved to Europe.
His subsequent eye-catching displays with Barcelona and Inter Milan, and his explosive appearances at the 1998 FIFA World Cup France™, which coincided with the growth of satellite television, served to propel the dynamic Brazilian to global stardom.
