Born in Porto Alegre in 1980, Ronaldinho moved into an affluent suburb at the age of eight.
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira was born on 21 March 1980 in the city of Porto Alegre, the state capital of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.[1][14] His mother, Miguelina Elói Assis dos Santos,[15] was a salesperson who studied to become a nurse.[16] His father, João de Assis Moreira, was a shipyard worker and a footballer for the local club Esporte Clube Cruzeiro (not to be confused with the larger Cruzeiro Esporte Clube).[17] After Ronaldo's elder brother Roberto signed with Grêmio, the family moved to a home in the more affluent Guarujá section of Porto Alegre, which was a gift from Grêmio to convince Roberto to stay at the club. Still, Roberto's career was ultimately cut short by injury. When Ronaldo was eight years old, his father hit his head and drowned in the swimming pool at their new home.[18] Roberto has acted as Ronaldo's manager, while his sister Deisi has worked as his press coordinator.[19][20]
Ronaldo's football skills began to blossom at the age of eight, and he was first given the nickname Ronaldinho—inho, meaning 'small'—because he was often the youngest and the smallest player in youth club matches.[19] He developed an interest in futsal and beach football, which later expanded to organized football.[21] Many of his signature moves originate from futsal, especially his ball control.[22] His first brush with the media came at the age of 13, when he scored all 23 goals in a 23–0 victory against a local team.[23] Ronaldinho was identified as a rising star at the 1997 U-17 World Championship in Egypt, in which he scored two goals on penalty kicks.[24][25]
"I've worked with some great players in my time and all at a very interesting period in their careers, nineteen to twenty years old. But, with due respect to the others, Ronaldinho was a cut above the rest."
Ronaldinho's career began with the Grêmio youth squad. He made his senior side debut during the 1998 Copa Libertadores.[32] 1999 saw the emergence of the 18-year-old Ronaldinho, with 22 goals in 47 matches, and he put in headlining displays in derbies against Internacional, most notably on 20 June 1999 in the Rio Grande do Sul State Championship final.[33] In a match-winning performance, Ronaldinho embarrassed Internacional's Brazilian legend and 1994 World Cup-winning captain Dunga, flicking the ball over his head on one occasion, and leaving him flat-footed in a mazy dribble on another.[33] Ronaldinho achieved further success with Grêmio, winning the inaugural Copa Sul.[33]
In 2001, Arsenal expressed interest in signing Ronaldinho, but the move collapsed after he could not obtain a work permit because he was a non-EU player who had not played enough international matches.[34] He considered playing on loan with Scottish Premier League side St Mirren, which never happened due to his involvement in a fake passport scandal in Brazil.[35]
In 2001, Ronaldinho signed a five-year contract with French club Paris Saint-Germain in a €5 million transfer.[37] Upon his arrival in Paris, Ronaldinho was given the number 21 shirt and inserted into a lineup that included fellow Brazilian Aloísio, midfielder Jay-Jay Okocha and striker Nicolas Anelka.[38]
2001–02 season
Ronaldinho made his league debut for the club on 4 August 2001, appearing as a substitute in a 1–1 draw with Auxerre.[39] Ronaldinho spent the majority of the first few months of the 2001–02 season alternated between the bench and starter's role. He scored his first goal for the club on 13 October in a 2–2 draw against Lyon, converting the equalizingpenalty in the 79th minute after having come on ten minutes prior.[40] After returning from the winter break, Ronaldinho went on a tear, scoring a goal in four consecutive matches to open the new campaign. He recorded impressive goals against Monaco, Rennes, Lens and Lorient. On 16 March 2002, he recorded a double in PSG's 3–1 victory against relegation strugglers Troyes.[41] He scored his final league goal of the season in the club's 2–0 win over Metz on 27 April.[42]
Ronaldinho was also influential in the 2001–02 Coupe de la Ligue, helping PSG reach the semi-finals where they were eliminated by Bordeaux. In a Round of 16 match against Guingamp, Ronaldinho scored two second half goals in the game after having entered the match as a half-time substitute. Despite Ronaldinho's initial success with the club, the season was marred by controversy with Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Fernández, claiming that the Brazilian was too focused on the Parisian nightlife rather than football, and complained that his holidays in Brazil never ended at the scheduled times.[32]
2002–03 season
Despite repeated rifts with Fernández, Ronaldinho returned to the team for the 2002–03 season, with the player switching to the number 10 shirt. Although his performances in his second season with the club were underwhelming compared to his first, Ronaldinho performed admirably with the club. On 26 October 2002, he scored two goals in PSG's 3–1 victory over Classique rivals Marseille. The first goal was a free kick, which curled past numerous Marseille players in the 18-yard box before sailing past goalkeeperVedran Runje. In the return match, he again scored in PSG's 3–0 victory at the Stade Vélodrome, running half the length of the field before flicking the ball over the goalkeeper.[43] On 22 February 2003, Ronaldinho scored the goal of the season (chosen by public vote) against Guingamp—he beat one opponent before playing a one-two to beat another, then lifted the ball over a third before beating a fourth with a step over (dropping his shoulder, moving right but going left) and finished by lifting the ball over the goalkeeper.[36]
Ronaldinho was also praised for his performance in the Coupe de France when he scored both goals in the club's 2–0 win over Bordeaux in the semi-finals, which inserted PSG into the final. After scoring his first goal in the 22nd minute, Ronaldinho capped the game in the 81st minute, accurately chipping the ball at the 18-yard box over the head of goalkeeper Ulrich Ramé, despite Ramé being in a favorable position. For his performance, Ronaldinho was given a standing ovation by the Parisian supporters. Unfortunately for the club, however, Ronaldinho and the team failed to capture the form that got them to the final as they bowed out 2–1 to Auxerre due to a last minute goal from Jean-Alain Boumsong. Despite Ronaldinho's performances, the club finished in a disappointing 11th-placed position. Following the season, Ronaldinho declared he wanted to leave the club after the capital club failed to qualify for any European competition.[44]
Barcelona
"Ronaldinho was responsible for the change in Barça. It was a bad time and the change that came about with his arrival was amazing."
— Lionel Messi on the impact of Ronaldinho's arrival at Barcelona.[45]
Newly elected FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta stated, "I said we would lead Barça to the forefront of the footballing world, and for that to occur we had to sign one of these three players, David Beckham, Thierry Henry or Ronaldinho."[46] Henry remained with Arsenal, and Laporta then promised to bring Beckham to the club, but following his transfer to Real Madrid, Barcelona entered the running for Ronaldinho and outbid Manchester United for his signature in a €30 million deal.[47][48]
2003–04 season
At the club where he would spend his peak years and the basis of his global fame,[49] Ronaldinho made his Barcelona debut in a friendly against Juventus at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on 27 July, with coach Frank Rijkaard stating post match, "He has something special every time he touches the ball."[50] He scored his first competitive goal in La Liga on 3 September 2003 against Sevilla at 1.30 a.m. local time, in a match that kicked off at five minutes past midnight.[51] After receiving the ball from his goalkeeper inside his own half, Ronaldinho ran through the midfield and dribbled past two Sevilla players before striking the ball from 30 yards which hammered off the underside of the crossbar and back up into the roof of the net.[51] Ronaldinho suffered from injury during the first half of the campaign,[52] and Barcelona slumped to 12th in the league standings midway through the season. Ronaldinho returned from injury and scored 15 goals in La Liga during the 2003–04 season, helping the team ultimately finish second in the league.[53][54] His scooped pass set up the winning goal for Xavi away to Real Madrid on 25 April 2004, the club's first win at the Bernabéu in seven years, a result Xavi credits as the start of "the Barcelona rise".[55]
2004–05 season
Ronaldinho (pictured in 2004) was named world player of the year in his second season with the club.
Ronaldinho won his first league title in 2004–05, and was named FIFA World Player of the Year on 20 December 2004.[56] His captain at Barcelona, Carles Puyol, stated, "The greatest compliment I could give him is that he's given Barcelona our spirit back. He has made us smile again."[55] Ronaldinho's fame grew due to his entertaining and productive play in both the La Liga and the UEFA Champions League. On 8 March 2005, Barcelona were eliminated from the latter competition by Chelsea in the first knockout round, losing 5–4 over two legs.[57] Ronaldinho scored both goals in the 4–2 second leg loss at Stamford Bridge in London, the second a spectacular strike where he feinted to shoot before striking the ball with little back-lift past Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Čech from 20 yards out.[57]
"It's like someone pressed pause and for three seconds all the players stopped and I'm the only one that moves."
— Ronaldinho reflects on his toe-poke goal against Chelsea.[21]
On 1 May 2005, Ronaldinho made the assist for Lionel Messi's first goal for Barcelona, executing a scooped pass over the Albacete defence for Messi to finish.[58] With his contract expiring in 2008, Ronaldinho was offered an extension until 2014 that would have net him £85 million over nine years,[59] but he turned it down. In September 2005, he signed a two-year extension that contained a minimum-fee release clause that allowed him to leave should a club make an offer to Barcelona of at least £85 million for him.[60]
By the end of the year 2005, Ronaldinho had started to accumulate a host of personal awards. He won the inaugural FIFPro World Player of the Year in September 2005, in addition to being included in the 2005 FIFPro World XI, and being named the 2005 European Footballer of the Year. Also that year, Ronaldinho was voted the FIFA World Player of the Year for the second consecutive year.[56] He became only the third player to win the award more than once, after three-time winners Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane.[56] His domination as the world's best footballer was undisputed as he also won the prestigious Ballon d'Or for the only time in his career.[61][62]
On 19 November, Ronaldinho scored twice as Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 3–0 on the road in the first leg of El Clásico. After he sealed the match with his second goal, Madrid fans paid homage to his performance by applauding, so rare a tribute only Diego Maradona had ever been granted previously as a Barcelona player at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.[63] Ronaldinho stated, "I will never forget this because it is very rare for any footballer to be applauded in this way by the opposition fans."[63]
"He transmits a lot of joy and pleasure playing the game, and he has individual skills that are of such a high level that everybody in the world adores him."
— Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard on Ronaldinho during the 2005–06 season.[64]
The season is considered one of the best in Ronaldinho's career as he was an instrumental part of Barcelona's first Champions League title in 14 years. After winning their group convincingly, Barcelona faced Chelsea in the round of 16 for a rematch of the previous year.[65] Ronaldinho scored a decisive goal in the second leg, going past three Chelsea defenders on the edge of the penalty area before beating the goalkeeper, sealing Barcelona's qualification to the next round.[65] He also contributed one goal in Barcelona's elimination of Benfica in the quarter-finals with a 2–0 home victory. After a 1–0 semi-final aggregate win over Milan, in which Ronaldinho assisted the series' only goal by Ludovic Giuly, Barcelona progressed to the Champions League Final, which they won on 17 May 2006 with a 2–1 beating of Arsenal.[66] Two weeks earlier, Barcelona had clinched their second-straight La Liga title with a 1–0 win over Celta de Vigo, giving Ronaldinho his first career double.[67]
Throughout the season, Ronaldinho linked up with prolific Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto'o in attack, providing a number of assists to the 34 goal striker; Ronaldinho's pass also put Eto'o through on goal in the Champions League Final from which he was brought down by Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann who was sent off.[68] Ronaldinho finished the season with a career-best 26 goals, including seventeen in La Liga and seven in the Champions League, and was chosen for the UEFA Team of the Year for the third consecutive time and was named the 2005–06 UEFA Club Footballer of the Year.[53] He was named in the six man shortlist for the 2006 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, and was selected in the FIFA World XI.[69]
2006–07 season
"When you play with him and see what he does with a ball, nothing surprises me any more. One of these days, he will make the ball talk."
On 25 November 2006, Ronaldinho scored his 50th career league goal against Villarreal, then scored a second time with a spectacular overhead bicycle kick; receiving Xavi's cross, he flicked the ball up with his chest and spun 180 degrees to finish—Barcelona fans waved white handkerchiefs in admiration of the goal.[71] After the match, he told reporters that the latter was a goal he had dreamed of scoring since he was a boy.[72] He scored once and set up two others in Barcelona's 4–0 Club World Cup win over Mexico's Club América on 14 December in Yokohama, Japan,[73] but Barcelona were defeated 1–0 by Brazilian club Internacional in the final. Ronaldinho was the recipient of the Bronze Ball Award for the competition.[74]
The next day, Ronaldinho finished third in the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year, behind 2006 World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro and Zinedine Zidane.[75] In March 2007, defending champions Barcelona were eliminated from the Champions League at the last 16 stage by Liverpool.[76] Ronaldinho was forced to miss a charity match on 13 March due to an injury he had picked up several days earlier in Barcelona's 3–3 El Clásico draw with Real Madrid.[77] Although Ronaldinho scored his career-best 21 league goals, the team lost the title to Real with a worse head-to-head record, as both teams finished the season with the same number of points.[53][78]
2007–08 season
After winning every major trophy in the sport, Ronaldinho started to lose focus, partying more and training less, and was sold by Barcelona.[79]
Ronaldinho played his 200th career match for Barcelona in a league match against Osasuna on 3 February 2008. His 2007–08 campaign as a whole, however, was plagued by injuries, and a muscle tear in his right leg on 3 April prematurely ended his season.[80] Having been a model professional and devoted himself to training during his hugely successful first three seasons at Barcelona, Ronaldinho's partying lifestyle and lack of dedication to training saw his physical condition decline, with many at the club believing he was already below his prime.[81][82] On 19 May 2008, Barcelona club president Joan Laporta stated that Ronaldinho needed a "new challenge", claiming that he needed a new club if he were to revive his career.[83]
Ronaldinho joined Barca as a toothy-grinned wizard who had the club under his spell for three glorious seasons. He will leave a rather forlorn figure. Whether his magic has been exhausted or he just needs a new challenge remains to be seen.
Ronaldinho and Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi each captained a team of international stars in an anti-racism exhibition match in Venezuela on 28 June, which ended in a 7–7 draw. Ronaldinho finished with a pair of goals and two assists in what would be his last match as a Barcelona player.[84] In preparation for the 2010 Joan Gamper Trophy, Ronaldinho sent an open letter to the fans and players of Barcelona, stating that his best years had been the five he spent in the Catalan club.[85] It was a sad moment for him and he later said in an interview that he regretted leaving without playing long enough with Messi.[86]
AC Milan
In July 2008, Ronaldinho turned down a £25.5 million offer from Manchester City of the Premier League, with purported wages of £200,000 per week on offer,[87] to join Italian Serie A giants AC Milan on a three-year contract thought to be worth around £5.1 million (€6.5 million) a year, for €22.05 million plus €1.05 million bonus each season (€24.15 million in 2010).[88][89][90][91] With the number 10 already occupied by teammate Clarence Seedorf, he selected 80 as his jersey number.[92]
2008–09 season
Ronaldinho scored his first goal for Milan in a 1–0 derby victory over Inter Milan on 28 September. His first brace was in a 3–0 win over Sampdoria on 19 October. He scored a 93rd-minute match-winner against Braga in the UEFA Cup group stage on 6 November.[81] Ronaldinho finished the 2008–09 season at Milan with 10 goals from 32 appearances in all competitions. After a good start to the season, Ronaldinho struggled with fitness, and was often played from the bench to end a disappointing first season for Milan.[81] A perceived lack of dedication in training and a lifestyle of late night partying not befitting of an athlete saw him receive criticism, with Carlo Ancelotti, his coach at Milan in his first season in Italy, commenting, "The decline of Ronaldinho hasn't surprised me. His physical condition has always been very precarious. His talent though has never been in question."[81]
2009–10 season
Ronaldinho playing for Milan in 2010 wearing number 80—the year of his birth[92]
Ronaldinho's second season did not begin on a high note, but he soon rediscovered his form and was arguably Milan's best player of the season. Newly appointed coach Leonardo changed his role from a central attacking midfielder to the left side of midfield, with Alexandre Pato on the right, in an offensive 4–3–3 formation.[93]
On 10 January 2010, Ronaldinho scored two goals against Juventus in an away match, sealing a 3–0 victory for Milan. In the following match, against Siena on 17 January, Ronaldinho scored his first hat-trick for Milan when he converted a penalty kick, scored with a header from a corner and finished with a strike into the top right corner from 20 yards out.[94] The Estado De São Paulo newspaper declared, "Ronaldinho revives his golden years".[93] On 16 February, Ronaldinho played against Manchester United in the Champions League. He scored early in the game at the San Siro to give Milan the lead. Milan ended up losing the game 3–2, with a goal from Paul Scholes and two goals from Wayne Rooney.[95]
Ronaldinho finished the season as the assists leader of Serie A. On a less positive note, however, he missed three penalties in the domestic season to add to one botched kick the previous season. Ronaldinho ended the Serie A campaign scoring two goals against Juventus; Luca Antonini opened the scoring and Milan went on to win 3–0 in Leonardo's last game in charge.[96]
2010–11 season
During the first half of the season, Ronaldinho was part of the team's attack that also included two new signings, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Robinho. Before the winter break, he made 16 appearances, scored one goal, and made several assists.[97]
After being heavily linked with a move back to his childhood club Grêmio, Ronaldinho joined Flamengo on 11 January 2011 with a contract ending in 2014.[98] During the transfer saga, many reports had linked the former World Player of the Year to joining different clubs, such as LA Galaxy of Major League Soccer, Blackburn Rovers of the Premier League, and Brazilian clubs Corinthians and Palmeiras. He was greeted by more than 20,000 fans at his unveiling at his new club on 13 January 2011.[99]
Ronaldinho scored his first goal for Flamengo in the 3–2 victory against Boavista on 6 February 2011.[100] On 27 February, he converted a second-half free kick for Flamengo to beat Boavista 1–0 and win his first piece of silverware with the team, the Taça Guanabara. Ronaldinho lifted his first trophy with Flamengo after curling in a right-footed shot over the wall in the 71st minute at Engenhão stadium. The goal gave Flamengo its 19th Taça Guanabara title, which earned the Campeonato Carioca title two months later, as the team also won the Taça Rio. On 27 July 2011, Ronaldinho scored a hat-trick in Flamengo's 5–4 away win against rivals Santos, after being 3–0 down inside the first 30 minutes.[101] On 31 May 2012, after being absent for a few days, he sued Flamengo claiming lack of payment for four months and cancelled his contract with the club.[102]
Ronaldinho made a move to Atlético Mineiro on 4 June 2012 in a six-month contract, just four days after leaving Flamengo. He wore number 49 in reference to his mother's birth year since his preferred number 10 was already assigned to Guilherme in the 2012 season.[103]
Ronaldinho made his debut for Galo on 9 June 2012, playing for 90 minutes in a 1–0 away win against Palmeiras,[104] and scored his first goal for the club on 23 June 2012 against Náutico, from the penalty spot.[105] Ronaldinho led Atlético Mineiro to a good 2012 season, in which the club finished second in the 2012 Brasileirão and qualified for the 2013 Copa Libertadores. Ronaldinho won the Bola de Ouro award, selected as the best player in the league.[106]
The career of Ronaldinho poses a stark question. Should we be grateful for what he gave us or angry that it ended so soon? Delighted to have shared a pitch with him for 90 minutes, there is no doubt which way the Raja Casablanca players would cast their votes.
The following year, Ronaldinho helped Atlético win the Campeonato Mineiro and led the club to its first Copa Libertadores title. Ronaldinho scored four goals and assisted on eight occasions during Atlético's dramatic title run,[107] which included consecutive comebacks from 0–2 first leg defeats in both the semi-finals against Argentine club Newell's Old Boys and the finals against Club Olimpia from Paraguay. Both ties were determined in Atlético's favour after penalty shootouts. Although six years past his best, Ronaldinho's displays saw him voted the 2013 South American Footballer of the Year.[108]
At the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup held in Morocco in December, Atlético lost 3–1 to Raja Casablanca in the semi-final, with Ronaldinho scoring from a free-kick. As the final whistle blew, the Raja Casablanca team rushed to their childhood idol and stripped him down to his underpants in search of souvenirs.[18] He renewed his contract with Atlético in January 2014.[109] After winning the 2014 Recopa Sudamericana, Ronaldinho left the club in July, reaching an agreement to cancel his contract by mutual consent.[110]
Querétaro
After becoming a free agent, Ronaldinho was offered contracts from English Conference South club Basingstoke Town and newly formed Indian Super League franchise Chennai Titans through their co-owner Prashant Agarwal,[111][112][113] but eventually signed a two-year contract with Mexican club Querétaro on 5 September 2014.[114][115] Ronaldinho made his debut for Querétaro in a 1–0 loss to Tigres UANL where he missed a penalty kick.[116] In his next match, however, against Guadalajara, he had a much better game, setting up Camilo Sanvezzo to score as well as scoring himself from a penalty kick in a 4–1 win.[117] On 30 October 2014, he scored a free kick against Atlas during an away match at the Estadio Jalisco.[118]
On 18 April 2015, Ronaldinho scored twice against Liga MX title-holders América in an away game at the Estadio Azteca, in which his team won 4–0.[119] All of the spectators, mostly consisting of América supporters, gave a standing ovation to Ronaldinho after his goals had brought him to tears. This was the second time in Ronaldinho's career he had received such an ovation from opposing fans (after Madrid fans had applauded his performance in a Barcelona shirt in 2005), and after the match, Ronaldinho stated in an interview, "It is an emotion to live more. I had an ovation at the Bernabéu and now here. I never imagined this. It is something that makes me like Mexico even more and I feel right at home."[120][121]
Ronaldinho scored two penalties in consecutive matches, the second giving Querétaro the classification to the Liga MX playoffs.[122] On 17 May 2015, Querétaro progressed to the semi-finals after defeating Veracruz 4–3 aggregate. In the second match, Ronaldinho scored a free kick with the help of the opponent's goalkeeper who made contact with the ball.[123] Querétaro eventually advanced to the final after beating Pachuca on aggregate 2–2. In the final against Santos Laguna, Querétaro lost the first leg 0–5 and then won the 2nd leg 3–0 but lost 3–5 on aggregate. In June 2015, Ronaldinho, now 35, announced his departure from the club and thanked the Mexican people and fans of Querétaro: "I want to thank all the Mexican nation for all the days that I have lived with people so special, you will be forever in my heart. Thank you very much the Nation Gallos Blancos, which made me very proud to wear this shirt and defend this club."[124]
Fluminense
On 11 July 2015, Ronaldinho announced his return to Brazil and signed an 18-month contract with Fluminense,[125] but on 28 September, Ronaldinho reached a mutual agreement with the club to terminate the deal.[126] He made nine appearances during his two-month stint at the club, failing to impress and being heavily criticized by the fans.[127] Fluminense sporting director Mario Bittencourt stated, "Ronaldinho asked us for a meeting. He respectfully told us he didn't feel he was able to perform as well as he wanted and that it was a bad situation for him. He made a great gesture in saying he wasn't being the player he felt he could be right now. I'll never speak about whether or not he is retiring. That's not something you say about a player of his calibre. He was always spectacular, as player and person."[127]
Futsal in India
Ronaldinho signing a football at the Web Summit in November 2016
From September to early October 2017, Ronaldinho joined the Delhi Dragons from Delhi in the Premier Futsal League. He scored 16 goals in eight games.[131]
Retirement
On 16 January 2018, Ronaldinho confirmed his retirement from football through his brother/agent: "He has stopped, it is ended. Let's do something pretty big and nice after the Russia World Cup, probably in August."[132] Such a celebration was supposed to take place three years after his last appearance for Fluminense, but has not materialized.[132] He retired as one of just eight players to have won the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League and the Ballon d'Or.[133]
In 1997, Ronaldinho was part of the first Brazilian team to win the FIFA U-17 World Championship, which was held in Egypt, in which his first goal was a penalty against Austria in the first group match, which Brazil won 7–0.[135] Ronaldinho finished with two goals and was awarded the Bronze Ball award as Brazil scored a total of 21 goals while only conceding 2.[135]
1999 was a busy year for Ronaldinho in terms of international play. First he appeared in the South American Youth Championship, where he scored three goals in nine appearances and helped the U20s to reach third place.[136] Then he took part in the that year's FIFA World Youth Championship in Nigeria, scoring his first goal in Brazil's last group match.[137] In the round of 16, he scored two first-half goals in a 4–0 win over Croatia, and finished with three goals as Brazil were eliminated by Uruguay in the quarter-finals.[137]
Early success
On 26 June, three days before the start of the 1999 Copa América, he earned his first cap for Brazil in a 3–0 win over Latvia, and he scored one goal during Brazil's victorious Copa América campaign. One week after the conclusion of the Copa América, he was called up for the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup, in which he scored in every match except the final, including a hat-trick in an 8–2 semi-final rout of Saudi Arabia.[138] In the final, Brazil lost 4–3 to Mexico. Ronaldinho won the Golden Ball award for the best player in tournament as well as the Golden Boot award for the tournament top-scorer.[138]
In 2000, Ronaldinho participated in the Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, with the U23 national team. Earlier that year, Ronaldinho led Brazil to win the Pre-Olympic Tournament, scoring nine goals in seven matches. In the Olympics, however, Brazil were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Cameroon, who later won the gold medal.[139] Ronaldinho appeared four times and scored only one goal, which came in the quarter-final defeat by Cameroon.[139]
2002 World Cup glory
On the eve of the final, Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho warmed up in the Yokohama Stadium by merrily trying to out-wizard each other in the Japanese drizzle.
Ronaldinho participated in his first World Cup in 2002, as part of a formidable offensive unit with Ronaldo and Rivaldo, dubbed the "Three Rs", who were also on the 1999 Copa América winning squad.[141] The World Cup was held in South Korea and Japan, and Ronaldinho appeared in five matches during the tournament and scored two goals, as well as contributing with three assists.[142] His first goal came in the group stage match against China PR, which Brazil won 4–0.[143]
The most memorable match in Ronaldinho's World Cup career took place in the quarter-final against England on 21 June.[144] With Brazil trailing after Michael Owen's 23-minute strike, Ronaldinho turned the game around. Having received the ball inside his own half, Ronaldinho ran at the England defence and wrong footed star defender Ashley Cole with a trademark step over before passing the ball to Rivaldo on the edge of the penalty area to score the equalising goal just before half-time.[145] Then, in the 50th minute, Ronaldinho took a free-kick from 40 yards out which curled into the top left corner of the net, completely surprising England's goalkeeper David Seaman, giving Brazil a 2–1 lead.[144][146] Seven minutes later, he was sent off for a foul on England defender Danny Mills.[144] Ronaldinho was suspended for the semi-final, but returned to Brazil's starting lineup for the 2–0 victory over Germany in the final as Brazil won its record fifth World Cup title.[147]
2005 Confederations Cup title
Ronaldinho's next international tournament was the 2003 Confederations Cup, in which he went scoreless as Brazil were eliminated in the group stage. The following year, he was dropped from Brazil's 2004 Copa América squad, as coach Carlos Alberto Parreira decided to rest his stars and used a largely reserve squad.[148]
After falling short in 1999 and 2003, Ronaldinho was the captain of Brazil and led his team to its second ever Confederations Cup title in 2005. He converted a penalty kick in a 3–2 semi-final win against host Germany and was named Man of the Match in a 4–1 victory over archrival Argentina in the final on 29 June.[149] Ronaldinho scored three goals in the tournament and is tied with Mexican forward Cuauhtémoc Blanco as the tournament's all-time top goalscorer with nine goals.[150]
For the 2006 World Cup finals, Ronaldinho was part of Brazil's much-publicized "magic quartet" of offensive players alongside Adriano, Ronaldo and Kaká, which was expected to provide the "Joga Bonito" style of play that was the focus of an extensive advertising campaign by Nike leading up to the tournament.[151] However, deemed "top heavy and unbalanced", the team finished with ten goals in five games, with Ronaldinho himself going scoreless and finishing with only one assist (for Gilberto's goal in a 4–1 group stage victory over Japan), as he turned in his worst collective performance in his international career.[151] Brazil endured a disappointing campaign that culminated in a 1–0 loss to France in the quarter-finals, during which the Seleção had only one shot on goal.[152]
How would Ronaldinho react? After Pelé's disappointment in the 1966 World Cup, he fought like a lion to get himself in good shape for 1970. Ronaldinho took a different path – one that led to the nightclub rather than the training ground.
The team was harshly criticized by Brazilian fans and media following their return home. On 3 July, two days after Brazil's elimination, vandals immolated and destroyed a 23-foot (7.5-metre) tall fiberglass and resin statue of Ronaldinho in Chapecó.[154] The statue had been erected in 2004 to celebrate his first FIFA World Player of the Year award. That same day, Ronaldinho, joined by Adriano, returned to the city of Barcelona and held a party at his home, which was continued into the early morning hours at a nightclub. This aggravated the hard feelings of many Brazilian fans, who believed that they were betrayed by the lack of effort from the squad.[155] Displaying a passivity to Brazil's poor showing, the 2006 World Cup is now seen as the turning point in Ronaldinho's career, with his time at the summit of the game almost up.[18] 1970 Brazil World Cup winner Tostão wrote in O Tempo: "Ronaldinho lacks an important characteristic of Maradona and Pelé—aggression. They transformed themselves in adversity. They became possessed, and furious."[18]
On 24 March 2007, Ronaldinho scored twice in a 4–0 win over Chile, which marked his first goal since the 2005 Confederations Cup final and thus ended a scoreless streak that lasted nearly two years.[156] He was not called up for the 2007 Copa América after asking to be excused from the tournament due to fatigue.[157] On 18 October, he was controversially benched by Barcelona after he was late returning to Spain following Brazil's 5–0 friendly win over Ecuador. He and several Brazil players celebrated the win by partying through the night at a posh Rio de Janeiro nightclub. Ronaldinho left at 11 am the next morning, allegedly in the trunk of a car in order to avoid the media.[158]
On 7 July 2008, Ronaldinho was named in Brazil's 2008 Summer Olympics squad as one of the overage players.[159] Barcelona initially blocked the move because of his then-upcoming Champions League commitments with the club, but the decision was later nullified following Ronaldinho's transfer to Milan, who in turn permitted him to make the trip to Beijing, China.[160] Ronaldinho captained the team, and he scored his only two goals in a 5–0 victory over New Zealand before Brazil were beaten by Argentina in the semi-final. Brazil finished with the bronze medal after defeating Belgium 3–0 in the third-place match.[161]
2010 and 2014 World Cup absence
Despite having returned to good form and being named as a member of the 30-man provisional squad that was submitted to FIFA on 11 May 2010,[162] he was not named in coach Dunga's final squad of 23 for the Brazilian squad in South Africa for the 2010 World Cup[163] despite his deep desire to participate in the competition.[164] Critics claimed that the exclusion of players such as Ronaldinho, Alexandre Pato, Adriano and Ronaldo signaled a move away from the classic Brazilian attacking "Joga Bonito" style of play.[163] At the tournament, Brazil was eliminated by the Netherlands in the quarter-final.[165]
In September 2011, Ronaldinho made his return to the national team under coach Mano Menezes in a friendly against Ghana at Fulham's Craven Cottage,[166] playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 win for Brazil. He then had solid performances in back to back friendlies against Argentina in the same month. In October, he performed well against Mexico in a friendly, scoring a free kick to equalize after Dani Alves was sent off. Brazil went on to win the match with a goal from Marcelo.[167]
Ronaldinho's good form continued in 2013, and in January he was unexpectedly called up by coach Luiz Felipe Scolari[168] for a friendly against England played on 6 February at Wembley Stadium as part of The Football Association (FA)'s 150th anniversary.[169] Ronaldinho started in what was his 100th cap (including non-official matches), and had a chance to score from the penalty kick, but his shot was saved by Joe Hart. Brazil lost the match 1–2.[170] He was again called up for the Seleção, being named captain of the national team for an international friendly with Chile on 24 April 2013.[171] However, Ronaldinho was not selected for the national team for the 2013 Confederations Cup and he was also omitted from Scolari's 2014 World Cup finals squad.[172]
Player profile
Style of play
Barcelona 2005–06 season home shirt. Ronaldinho wore the number 10 for much of his club and international career.
Ronaldinho is regarded as one of the greatest and most skilful players of all time.[173][174][175][176][177] Due to his ability to score and create goals, he was capable of playing in several attacking positions.[178][179] Throughout his career, he was often deployed as a winger, although he usually played as a classic number 10 in an attacking midfielder role.[179][180] While he is naturally right-footed, during his time at Barcelona, Ronaldinho was also used as an inverted winger on the left flank at times by manager Frank Rijkaard, while the left-footed Messi was deployed on the right; this position allowed him to cut inside and shoot on goal with his stronger foot.[181][182][183] He was also capable of playing as a second striker.[184]
Despite primarily being a creative player, who was renowned for his passing, vision, and playmaking, Ronaldinho was an accurate finisher with either foot, both from inside and outside the penalty area, as well as being a free-kick and penalty kick specialist.[179][185][186] Although he was primarily known for his ability to bend the ball from set pieces,[187] he was also capable of striking the ball with power underneath the wall, and also occasionally used the knuckleball technique, which was popularised by his compatriot Juninho Pernambucano.[188][189][190] He is widely regarded as one of the most prolific free kick takers in history,[191] and also influenced his former teammate Messi, who went on to become a free kick specialist himself.[192]
Throughout his career, Ronaldinho was praised by pundits in particular for his technical skills, flair, and creativity, as well as his exceptional first touch.[18][182] With his pace, acceleration, athleticism, ball control, and dribbling ability, he was capable of beating players during individual runs, often using an array of tricks and feints to get past opponents in one on one situations, including step overs and nutmegs.[18][21][179][187] Physically strong in possession of the ball, Richard Williams writes, "Slender in build, the Brazilian has a strength belying the cartoonish smile."[182] He also incorporated flashy moves such as back-heels, bicycle kicks, and no-look passes into his playstyle.[193][194][195][196] Among his repertoire of moves is the "elastico", a move he learned by watching videos of one of his idols, the 1970s Brazilian star Rivelino.[197][198] Ronaldinho came to be known as one of the best exponents of the feint, and in parts of Africa—especially Nigeria—this move is now called 'The Gaúcho', due to him popularising the use of this particular skill.[21][197][198]
Reception
In addition to his dribbling ability and exhibiting a wide array of skills, Ronaldinho was also known for his creativity and vision.
ESPN described Ronaldinho as being "skillful by nature, his tricks are unparalleled and he is wonderful with the ball at his feet. One of the coolest players in pressure situations" and a "fast, brash, skilful, tricky, an uninhibited playmaker" who provides "a mix of goals, assists, skills and a large repertoire of crafty moves".[199]Zlatan Ibrahimović stated, "Prime Ronaldinho was phenomenal. He made his opponents look like children."[200] Former Portugal midfield playmaker Rui Costa has said of his vision and passing ability: "There are not many players who can offer goal-scoring passes like he can. He is just marvellous. He is a rare case of an assist man who can provide the ball from anywhere."[199] In 2010, his former Barcelona teammate, Edgar Davids, said of him: "For the skills and tricks, Ronaldinho was the best player that I ever played with."[201] Another one of his former Barcelona teammate, Henrik Larsson, echoed this view.[201] His compatriot Willian rated him as the greatest player of all time in 2019,[202] while Juninho described him as the most skilful player he had ever seen. In 2019, FourFourTwo described him as "possibly the best technician in the history of football in Brazil", placing him at number five in their list of "The 101 greatest football players of the last 25 years".[203] In 2006, Richard Williams of The Guardian described Ronaldinho as a "genius", while his former Barcelona teammate Sylvinho said of him: "He's so smart, so intelligent, that sometimes it's difficult to read his mind", also adding: "He's amazing. He's 100% talent. And he's a powerful player as well, so it's difficult to stop him."[182]
The Brazilian legend Tostão claimed: "Ronaldinho has the dribbling skills of Rivelino, the vision of Gérson, the spirit and happiness of Garrincha, the pace, skill and power of Jairzinho and Ronaldo, the technical ability of Zico and the creativity of Romário." Above all he had one, very special ability: he made you smile.
— Sid Lowe after Ronaldinho's retirement in January 2018.[173]
In spite of his performances at his peak, a period of dedication and focus which saw him named the FIFA World Player of the Year twice and receive the Ballon d'Or, Ronaldinho was also criticised on occasion in the media for his lack of discipline in training, as well as his hedonistic lifestyle off the pitch, which impacted the overall longevity of his career.[204] Referring to Ronaldinho as "Brazil's childlike genius who never grew up", Tim Vickery writes that it was the sudden death of his father at such a young age that may have seen Ronaldinho shy away from remaining at the top, with the attitude of "life is short and can end unexpectedly—so enjoy it while you can".[18]
Outside football
Ronaldinho (pictured with Barcelona in 2007) has been a UNICEF ambassador since February 2006.
Ronaldinho has had endorsements with many companies, including Nike, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, EA Sports and Danone.[64][205] One of the world's highest paid players, in 2006 he earned over $19 million from endorsements.[206] Having endorsed Pepsi for much of his career and appeared in commercials with David Beckham, Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho signed a deal with Coca-Cola in 2011, however this was terminated in July 2012 after he was caught drinking Pepsi in a news conference.[207]
Ronaldinho has featured in EA Sports' FIFA video game series, appearing on the cover of FIFA Football 2004, FIFA Street, FIFA 06, FIFA 07, FIFA Street 3, FIFA 08 and FIFA 09.[205] At the beginning of his career Ronaldinho signed a lucrative 10-year deal with sportswear company Nike (wearing Nike Tiempo R10 boots designed for him).[64] He has appeared in Nike commercials, including the 2002 "Secret Tournament" commercial (branded "Scorpion KO") directed by Terry Gilliam.[208] His 2005 Nike advertisement, where he is given a new pair of boots and then proceeds to juggle a football and appears to repeatedly volley it against the crossbar of a goal and recover it without the ball touching the ground, went viral on YouTube, becoming the site's first video to reach one million views.[209][210] A 2010 Nike commercial, Write the Future directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, features Ronaldinho executing a number of stepovers, which became a viral video re-enacted and shared millions of times.[211]
On 2 February 2017, Barcelona announced that Ronaldinho signed a 10-year deal to become an ambassador for the club at institutional events.[217] On 6 July 2018, Ronaldinho announced a partnership with company World Soccer Coin (WSC) to develop a new cryptocurrency, the Ronaldinho Soccer Coin, with WSC claiming that the profits of the coin will be used to football projects such as "Ronaldinho Digital Stadiums".[218][219]
On 29 October 2020, Ronaldinho released a statement regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and Azerbaijan. He expressed solidarity with Azerbaijani people.[220] In late July 2021, he went to Beirut, Lebanon, to lay a wreath in honor of victims of the port explosion.[221]
In fiction, Ronaldinho features as a character in Rupert Thomson's 2021 novel Barcelona Dreaming.[222]
It was adapted into an animated television series as Ronaldinho Gaúcho's Team, produced by Italian studio GIG Italy Entertainment, with the coproduction of MSP (Mauricio de Sousa Produções).
In 2014, because of the FIFA World Cup held in Brazil, Ronaldinho Gaúcho's short animated series was acquired by the paid children's channel Gloob,[226] at the same time, the Discovery Kids channel aired the series "Pelezinho in: Planet Soccer".[227] The series "Pelezinho in: Planet Soccer" was also launched, usually passing during Discovery Kids commercials, and Neymar Jr. by Nickelodeon.[228]
Legal troubles
In July 2019, 57 properties belonging to Ronaldinho along with his Brazilian and Spanish passports were confiscated because of unpaid taxes and fines.[229] The judge ultimately decided to reduce the fine from R$8.5 million to R$6 million for building a fishing platform on Guaíba River in a 'heritage-protected' area.[230] Ronaldinho and his brother would ultimately fail to pay the fines within the allotted time and have their passports suspended.[231]
In March 2020, he was questioned by police in Paraguay after he was alleged to have used a fake passport to enter the country while coming for a charity event and book promotion,[232] with Ronaldinho and his brother both being held in custody in the country.[233][234] A lawyer representing Ronaldinho and his brother could not explain why they used fake passports to enter the country; as Brazilian nationals do not require a passport to countries that are members of the Mercosur trade bloc.[233] While in prison he competed in a prison futsal tournament, where his team was victorious. They won 11–2 in the finals, with Ronaldinho scoring 5 goals and assisting the other 6.[235] He attempted to appeal the detention order but was ordered to remain under house arrest with his brother.[234] On 24 August 2020, Ronaldinho and his brother were released from Paraguayan prison after their judge agreed to a plea deal with fines of US$90,000 and US$110,000 for the brothers, respectively.[236][237][238]
Career statistics
Ronaldinho made 853 appearances and scored 328 goals for club and country combined, with a goalscoring average of 0.38.[239]
Club
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
In 2012, two Brazilian entomologists named a new species of bee, from Brazil, Eulaema quadragintanovem, stating that "the specific epithet honors the Brazilian soccer player Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, famous worldwide as 'Ronaldinho' and in Brazil as 'Ronaldinho Gaúcho'. Quadraginta novem means 'forty-nine' in Latin, the number of Ronaldinho's jersey at Atlético Mineiro, his former team in Brazil. Ronaldinho chose the number 49 as an homage to his mother, born in 1949."[305]
^"Paris Saint-Germain – ESTAC". Ligue de Football Professionnel. 16 March 2002. Archived from the original on 11 August 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
^Pierrend, José Luis (6 March 2012). ""Onze Mondial" Awards". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 4 July 2019. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
^"R49, o rei das assistências". Globo Esporte (in Portuguese). 3 December 2012. Archived from the original on 19 February 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
^Nemésio, A.; Ferrari, R.R. 2012: The species of Eulaema (Eulaema) Lepeletier, 1841 (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossina) from eastern Brazil, with description of Eulaema quadragintanovem sp. n. from the state of Ceará. Zootaxa, 3478: 123–132. PreviewArchived 13 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine
Notes
^"Ronaldinho", the lengthened term of endearment for "Ronaldo", is accompanied in Brazilian usage by the nickname "Gaúcho" (since he hails from Rio Grande do Sul). This was done in order to distinguish him from fellow footballer and countryman Ronaldo or Ronaldo Nazário, who was also known as "Ronaldinho" in Brazil beforehand.[3] Ronaldo Nazário went by his first name upon his move to Europe, thereby allowing Ronaldinho to drop the "Gaúcho" nickname abroad.[4]
1 As Hors concours 2Placar started to give this prize to the best grade holder at Bola de Prata since 1973. In its 2013 ceremonies, a Bola de Ouro was given to Dirceu Lopes, holder of the best 1971 grade. Francisco Reyes and Elías Figueroa, holders of 1970 and 1972 ones respectively, have not been announced as these years' winners yet.
