Ronaldinho

Lore & Background

Ronaldinho made his career debut for Grêmio, in 1998. Aged 20, he moved to Paris Saint-Germain in France, where he established himself as one of the club's key players and helped them reach the 2003 Coupe de France final. In 2003, he signed for Barcelona, where he experienced his prime years, winning his first FIFA World Player of the Year award as Barcelona won the 2004–05 La Liga title. In the season that followed, he was integral to Barcelona achieving a double of the La Liga and UEFA Champions League titles. Ronaldinho received the 2005 Ballon d'Or and his second World Player of the Year in the process. Due to these successes, he is widely credited with elevating Barcelona in the early 2000s. Despite Barcelona winning no major trophies in 2006–07, Ronaldinho enjoyed his most prolific league season, scoring a career-best 21 goals. After a decline in form and fitness the following season, Barcelona sold him to AC Milan in 2008. In his second season, Ronaldinho rediscovered his best form, registering a league-high 15 assists in Serie A, before being involved in the team's 2010–11 Serie A title win. He returned to Brazil to play for Flamengo in 2011 and Atlético Mineiro a year later where he won the 2013 Copa Libertadores, before moving to Mexico to play for Querétaro and then back to Brazil to play for Fluminense in 2015. In 2026, he came out of retirement to play for Ravenna. Ronaldinho accumulated numerous other individual awards in his career: he was included in the UEFA Team of the Year and the FIFA World XI three times each, and was named UEFA Club Footballer of the Year for the 2005–06 season and South American Footballer of the Year in 2013; in 2004, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players. In 2009, World Soccer magazine voted him World Player of the Decade 2000s. In his international career with Brazil, Ronaldinho earned 97 caps, scored 33 goals, and represented them in two FIFA World Cups. After debuting with the Seleção by winning the 1999 Copa América, he was an integral player in the 2002 World Cup winning team, positioned alongside Ronaldo and Rivaldo in an attacking trio, and was named in the World Cup All-Star Team. He captained his team to the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup title and was named man of the match in the final.

Reader's Guide

Ronaldinho's career began with the Grêmio youth squad. He made his senior side debut during the 1998 Copa Libertadores. 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. 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. Ronaldinho achieved further success with Grêmio, winning the inaugural Copa Sul. 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. 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. In 2001, Ronaldinho signed a five-year contract with French club Paris Saint-Germain in a €5 million transfer. 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. Ronaldinho made his league debut for the club on 4 August 2001, appearing as a substitute in a 1–1 draw with Auxerre. 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 equalizing penalty in the 79th minute after having come on ten minutes prior. 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. He scored his final league goal of the season in the club's 2–0 win over Metz on 27 April. Ronaldinho was also influential in the 2001–02 Coupe de la Ligue, helping PSG reach the semi-finals where they were eliminated by Bordeaux.

Did You Know?

• Ronaldinho was born on 21 March 1980 in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
• He earned the nickname Ronaldinho because he was often the youngest and smallest player in youth matches.
• His father João died when Ronaldinho was eight years old, drowning in the family's swimming pool.
• Ronaldinho's first brush with the media came at age 13 when he scored all 23 goals in a 23–0 victory against a local team.