Ronaldinho

Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, known as Ronaldinho, was born on 21 March 1980 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. A forward and midfielder celebrated for dribbling, passes, free kicks, and improvisation, he emerged from Grêmio’s youth system. He made his debut for Grêmio in 1998 and became a league player before joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2001. His Paris years brought flashes of technique, including a 2002–03 season, but also friction over training and selection with coach Luis Fernandez. In 2003 he moved to FC Barcelona, the club most closely associated with his peak, in a transfer that transformed its attack and international profile. At Barcelona, Ronaldinho helped end a difficult period following the club’s 2003–04 rebuilding campaign. Barcelona won La Liga in 2004–05 and retained the title in 2005–06; it also won the UEFA Champions League in 2005–06. Ronaldinho received the Ballon d’Or in 2005 and was named FIFA World Player of the Year in both 2004 and 2005. On 19 November 2005, he scored twice in Barcelona’s 3–0 victory over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu, after which many home supporters applauded him. His combination with Samuel Eto’o and Lionel Messi helped make Frank Rijkaard’s Barcelona one of Europe’s defining sides. Ronaldinho’s Brazil career included the 1999 Copa América, won when he was a teenager, and the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. In the World Cup, Brazil won its fifth title. Ronaldinho scored against China and struck a free kick against England in the quarter-final, although he was sent off in that match. Brazil prevailed 2–1 and went on to win the tournament. He helped Brazil win the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup. At 2000 Sydney Olympics, he represented Brazil’s under-23 side. His record is listed as 97 appearances and 33 goals for Brazil’s team, spanning 1999 to 2013. After leaving Barcelona in 2008, Ronaldinho played for AC Milan, where he won the 2010–11 Serie A title. He returned to Brazil with Flamengo in 2011, then joined Atlético Mineiro in 2012. Atlético Mineiro won the Copa Libertadores in 2013, its first title in South America’s premier club competition, with Ronaldinho central to the campaign. The club followed that triumph by winning the 2014 Recopa Sudamericana. He later had spells at Querétaro in Mexico and Fluminense in Brazil. Ronaldinho announced his retirement from professional football in January 2018. In 2004, Pelé included him in FIFA 100, his list of living players.