The Best Football Entertainment: Ronaldinho

Who is Ronaldinho?

Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, generally known as Ronaldinho Gaucho (Brazilian Portuguese: [onawdu auu]) or simply Ronaldinho (born March 21, 1980), is a former Brazilian professional footballer who mostly played as an offensive midfielder but could also be used as a winger. Ronaldinho, who is recognized as one of the all-time best players, won two Ballon d’Ors and two FIFA World Player of the Year honors. As a futsal player, since he was a young child, he was known for his technical proficiency, originality, dribbling prowess, accuracy from free kicks, usage of trickery, feints, no-look passes, overhead kicks, and ability to score and set up goals. He was regarded as a worldwide icon of the sport.

For Grêmio, Ronaldinho made his professional debut in 1998. He moved to Paris Saint-Germain in France when he was 20 years old before joining with Barcelona in 2003. He received his first FIFA World Player of the Year award during Barcelona’s 2004–05 La Liga championship season, his second with the club. He played a key role in Barcelona winning the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League, their first in fourteen years, and another La Liga championship, giving Ronaldinho his first career double and earning him the 2005 Ballon d’Or and his second FIFA World Player of the Year in the process. The following season is regarded as one of the best of his career. Ronaldinho became the second Barcelona player, after Diego Maradona in 1983, to get a standing ovation from Real Madrid supporters at the Santiago Bernabéu after scoring two magnificent solo goals in the first El Clásico of the 2005–06 season.

He left Barcelona to join AC Milan, where he won the 2010-11 Serie A, and then moved to Mexiko, where he won the 2013 Copa Libertadores. After finishing second in La Liga to Real Madrid in the 2006–07 season and a season marred by injuries in 2007–08, Ronaldinho suffered a decline in his performances, which was often attributed to a loss of dedication and focus after having accomplished so much in the sport. In addition to winning numerous team and individual accolades throughout his career, Ronaldinho was named UEFA Club Footballer of the Year for the 2005–06 season as well as South American Footballer of the Year in 2013. In 2004, Pelé included Ronaldinho in the FIFA 100 list of the greatest living athletes.

Ronaldinho played 97 times for Brazil in his international career, including 33 goals and two FIFA World Cup appearances. After making his Seleço debut by winning the 1999 Copa América, he played a key role in the 2002 FIFA World Cup-winning squad, forming an attacking trio with Ronaldo and Rivaldo. He was also selected for the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team. He served as his team’s captain and was chosen man of the match in the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup final. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, he also led the Brazilian football team to a bronze medal.

younger years and personal lives

Ronaldinho, a 1980 Porto Alegre native, relocated to an upscale neighborhood when he was eight years old.
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira was born on March 21, 1980, in Porto Alegre, the state capital of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. His mother, Miguelina Elói Assis dos Santos, worked in sales while pursuing a nursing degree. His father, Joo de Assis Moreira, was a shipyard worker and a footballer for the neighborhood club Esporte Clube Cruzeiro (not to be confused However, Roberto’s career was finally ended by an accident. When Ronaldo was eight years old, his father perished at the family’s new house after hitting his head in the swimming pool. Today, Roberto serves as his manager and Deisi serves as his press coordinator.

Ronaldinho, which means “small,” was given to him as a nickname when he was just eight years old because he frequently played as the youngest and smallest player in youth club games.  He became interested in futsal and beach football before switching to organized football.  Many of his signature moves are derived from futsal, particularly his ball control. His first run-in with the media was when he was just 13 years old and scored a goal.

When he was younger, his idols included the World Cup winners Rivelino (from 1970), Diego Maradona (from 1986), Romário (from 1994), and his two future international teammates Ronaldo and Rivaldo (which would form the attacking trio in Brazil’s 2002 World Cup winning team). Ronaldinho is the father of a son named Joo, born on February 25, 2005, to Brazilian dancer Janana Mendes, and named after his late father.

a club career
Grêmio
With all due respect to the others, Ronaldinho was a cut above the rest. “I’ve worked with several great players in my time, all at a really intriguing point in their lives, nineteen to twenty years old.

― Celso Roth, the Grêmio coach .
In his early years, Ronaldinho played for the Grêmio youth team. In the 1998 Copa Libertadores, he made his senior team debut. In 1999, the 18-year-old Ronaldinho burst onto the scene with 22 goals in 47 games and put on headline-making performances in derbies against Internacional, most notably on June 20, 1999, in the Rio Grande do Sul State Championship final. In a game-winning performance, Ronaldinho embarrassed Internacional’s 1994 World Cup-winning captain Dunga by flicking the ball over.

Ronaldinho was a non-EU player who had not appeared in enough international games when Arsenal expressed interest in signing him in 2001. As a result, the deal fell through. He considered joining the Scottish Premier League team St Mirren on loan, but that never materialized due to his involvement in a Brazilian passport fraud scandal.

Saint-Germain Paris

With tremendous hoopla, Ronaldinho arrived at the Parc des Princes (photo).
Ronaldinho transferred to Paris Saint-Germain in 2001 for €5 million, where he signed a five-year deal.  He was given the number 21 jersey and started alongside fellow Brazilian Alosio, midfielder Jay-Jay Okocha, and striker Nicolas Anelka.

Season 2001–2002
In August 4, 2001, Ronaldinho made his league debut for the team, coming on as a substitute in a 1-1 tie with Auxerre.  For most of the first few months of the 2001–02 season, Ronaldinho rotated between the bench and the starting lineup. Following his return from the winter break, Ronaldinho embarked on a scoring spree, netting goals in four straight games to start the new season with 13 October’s 2-2 draw against Lyon. He entered the game 10 minutes earlier and converted the equalizing penalty in the 79th minute. He scored several stunning goals against Lorient, Lens, Rennes, and Monaco. He scored twice in PSG’s 3-1 victory against relegation-threatened Troyes on March 16, 2002. On April 27, 2002, in the club’s 2-0 victory over Metz, he netted his last league goal of the year.

In the 2001–02 Coupe de la Ligue, Ronaldinho played a key role in PSG’s run to the semi-finals until Bordeaux knocked them out. Ronaldinho scored two goals in the second half of a Round of 16 games against Guingamp after coming in as a halftime substitution. Despite Ronaldinho’s early success with the team, the season was clouded by controversy. Luis Fernández, the manager of Paris Saint-Germain, claimed that the Brazilian was too preoccupied with Parisian nightlife and not enough with football and that he never returned from a vacation in Brazil on time.

season 2002–2003
Ronaldinho rejoined the squad for the 2002–03 season despite ongoing conflicts with Fernández, wearing the number 10 jersey. Ronaldinho did brilliantly with the club, despite his second season’s performances being less impressive than his first. He contributed two goals to PSG’s 3-1 win against Classique rivals Marseille on October 26, 2002. A free kick was used to score the first goal; it curled past several Marseille defenders in the 18-yard area before beating goalie Vedran Runje. In the rematch, Ronaldinho scored once more as PSG defeated Guingamp 3-0 at the Stade Velodrome. He ran halfway across the field before flicking the ball over the goalkeeper. On February 22, 2003, Ronaldinho scored the goal of the season (selected by the general public) against Guingamp. He defeated one opponent before playing a one-two to beat another, then lifted the ball over a third opponent before defeating a fourth with a step over (lowering his.

Ronaldinho received accolades for his work in the Coupe de France when he scored both goals in PSG’s 2-0 victory against Bordeaux in the semifinals to advance the team to the championship game. Ronaldinho opened the score in the 22nd minute, and he added a second goal in the 81st minute by deftly chipping the ball in the 18-yard box over Ulrich Ramé’s head despite Ramé being in a good position. The Parisian fans gave Ronaldinho a standing ovation for his performance. Sadly for the club, Ronaldinho and the squad were unable to regain the form that propelled them to the final as they lost to Auxerre 2-1 thanks to a last-second goal from Jean-Alain Boumsong. Despite Ronaldinho’s contributions, the team came in a dismal 11th place. Ronaldinho made his intention to quit the club known after the season since the capital club was disqualified from all European competitions.

Barcelona
“It was a horrible period and the transition that came about with his coming was incredible. Ronaldinho was responsible for the turnaround in Barça.”

— Lionel Messi on Ronaldinho joining Barcelona and its effects.
“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,” said newly elected FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta. [36] Henry stayed with Arsenal, and Laporta then promised to bring Beckham to the club, but after he moved to Real Madrid, Barcelona entered the race for Ronaldinho and outbid Manchester United in a €30 million deal.

season 2003–2004
Ronaldinho made his debut for Barcelona on July 27 against Juventus at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Coach Frank Rijkaard said after the game, “He has something special every time he touches the ball. ” He scored his first La Liga goal on September 3, 2003, against Sevilla at 1.30 a.m., the club where he would spend his peak years and the source of his international fame. After receiving the ball from his goalkeeper inside his own half, Ronaldinho ran through the middle and dribbled past two Sevilla players before launching a 30-yard shot that smacked off the underside of the crossbar and back up into the roof of the net. Ronaldinho was injured for much of the first half of the season,[42], and Barcelona fell to 12th in the league standings. The 2003–04 La Liga season saw Ronaldinho return from injury and scored 15 goals, helping the team to a second-place finish.  On April 25, 2004, away to Real Madrid, Ronaldinho’s scooped pass to set up Xavi’s winning goal, the club’s first triumph at the Bernabéu in seven years, which Xavi attributes as the beginning of “the Barcelona rise.”

2003–2004 to 2005

In his second year with the team, Ronaldinho (shown in 2004) received the global player of the year award.
The greatest compliment I could give him is that he’s given Barcelona our spirit back. He has made us smile again. ” His fame was growing with his entertaining and productive play in both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League. Ronaldinho won his first league title in 2004-05 and was named FIFA World Player of the Year on December 20, 2004. Ronaldinho scored both goals in the 4-2 second leg loss at Stamford Bridge in London; the second was a spectacular strike where he feinted to shoot before striking the ball with little back-lift past Chelsea goalkeeper Petr ech from 20 yards out. On March 8, 2005, Barcelona was eliminated from the latter competition by Chelsea in the first knockout round, losing 5-4 over two legs.

“I’m the only one moving like someone hit pause and everyone else stopped for three seconds.”

— Ronaldinho discusses the toe-poke goal he scored against Chelsea.
Ronaldinho performed a scooped pass over the Albacete defense on May 1, 2005, setting up Lionel Messi for his first goal for Barcelona. With his contract set to expire in 2008, Ronaldinho was offered a contract extension through 2014 that would have paid him £85 million over nine years, but he declined it. He agreed to a two-year agreement in September 2005, but it included a minimum-fee release clause that gave him the option to depart should another team make Barcelona an offer of at least £85 million for him.

Season 2005–2006

At Camp Nou in 2005, Ronaldinho takes a corner against Celta de Vigo.
Ronaldinho has begun to amass a number of personal honors by the end of 2005. He was awarded the 2005 European Footballer of the Year and the 2005 FIFPro World XI in addition to winning the first-ever FIFPro World Player of the Year award in September 2005. After three-time winners Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho became just the third player to win the FIFA World Player of the Year award more than once that year. His dominance as the best football player in the world was also undisputed as he also won the prestigious Ballon d’Or for the only time in his career.

In the first leg of El Clásico, Barcelona overcame Real Madrid 3-0 on the road on November 19 thanks to two goals from Ronaldinho. Only Diego Maradona had ever received such a rare honor as a Barcelona player at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium before Ronaldinho’s second goal sealed the game. Ronaldinho said, “I will never forget this because it is very rare for any footballer to be applauded in this way by the opposition fans. ”

“Everyone in the world likes him because he exudes so much joy and pleasure when playing the game and has individual abilities that are at such a high level.”

― Frank Rijkaard, the head coach of Barcelona, on Ronaldinho in the 2005–06 campaign.
Given that he played a key role in Barcelona winning the Champions League for the first time in 14 years, this season is regarded as one of the greatest of Ronaldinho’s career. Following a convincing victory in their group, Barcelona faced Chelsea in the round of 16 in a rematch of the previous season. Ronaldinho scored the game-winning goal in the second leg, edging three Chelsea defenders on the edge of the box before beating the goalkeeper to ensure Barcelona’s advancement. He also scored one goal in Barcelona’s 2-0 home victory over Benfica in the quarterfinals to help them advance. Barcelona advanced to the Champions League Final, which they won on 17 May 2006 by defeating Arsenal, with a 1-0 victory over Milan in the semi-finals on aggregate. Two weeks earlier, Barcelona had won their second consecutive La Liga title with a 1-0 victory over Celta de Vigo, giving Ronaldinho his first career double.

Samuel Eto’o, a prolific Cameroonian striker with 34 goals, frequently teamed up with Ronaldinho during the course of the season. Ronaldinho also assisted on Eto’o’s goal in the Champions League Final, when he was brought down by Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann and given a red card. Ronaldinho finished the season with a career-high 26 goals, including seventeen in La Liga and seven in the Champions League, and was selected for the UEF.

Season 2006–2007
Nothing shocks me now when we play with him and see what he does with a ball; one of these days, he’ll make the ball speak.

― Eiur Gujohnsen, a teammate of Ronaldinho’s at Barcelona, in December 2006.
On November 25, 2006, Ronaldinho scored his 50th career league goal against Villarreal. He then added a second goal with a spectacular overhead bicycle kick; after receiving a cross from Xavi, he flicked the ball up with his chest and spun 180 degrees to finish; Barcelona fans waved white handkerchiefs in awe. After the game, he told reporters that the second goal was something he had hoped to accomplish since he was a young boy. The Bronze Ball Award for the tournament went to Ronaldinho.

In 2006, Ronaldinho and Frank Rijkaard visited NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
In the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year voting the following day, Ronaldinho came in third place, behind 2006 World Cup captain Fabio Cannavaro and Zinedine Zidane. In March 2007, defending champions Barcelona was defeated by Liverpool in the Champions League’s last 16 stages. Ronaldinho was forced to miss a charity game on March 13 due to an injury he sustained in Barcelona’s 3-3 El Clásico draw with Real Madrid. Despite this, Ronaldinho won

Season 2007–2008

Ronaldinho was sold by Barcelona after winning every major sporting championship, as he began to lose concentration and began to party more and practice less.
On February 3, 2008, Ronaldinho played the 200th match of his career for Barcelona in a league game against Osasuna. Despite being a model professional and dedicating himself to training during his wildly successful first three seasons at Barcelona, Ronaldinho’s 2007–08 campaign as a whole was plagued by injuries, and a muscle tear in his right leg on 3 April prematurely ended his season.[69] Ronaldinho’s physical condition declined as a result of his partying lifestyle and lack of commitment to training, and many at the club thought he was past his prime. On 19 May 2008, Barcelona announced his.

When Ronaldinho first joined Barcelona, he was a toothy-grinding genius who ruled the team for three illustrious seasons. He’ll leave behind a really desolate image. It remains to be seen whether his magic has run out or if he just needs a new challenge.

Simon Baskett, July 2008, Reuters.
In a 7-7 tie on June 28 in Venezuela, an exhibition game against racism was led by Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi, a teammate from Barcelona. In what would be his final game for Barcelona, Ronaldinho finished with two goals and two assists. [73] Ahead of the 2010 Joan Gamper Trophy, Ronaldinho wrote an open letter to the club’s supporters and players, saying that his best years had been the five he spent there. It was a sad moment for him, and he later admitted in an interview that he regretted not staying long enough to play with Messi

Milan AC

2009 photo of Ronaldinho, Beckham, and Kaká with AC Milan head coach Carlo Ancelotti
Ronaldinho signed a three-year contract with Italian Serie A powerhouse AC Milan in July 2008 for a reported £5.1 million (€6.5 million) a year, with €22.05 million plus a €1.05 million bonus each season (€24.15 million in 2010). Ronaldinho turned down a £25.5 million offer from Premier League club Manchester City, with alleged wages of £200,000 per week on offer, in order to play for AC Milan.

Season 2008–2009
On September 28, Milan defeated Inter Milan 1-0 in a rivalry match, with Ronaldinho scoring Milan’s first goal. On October 19, he scored his first two goals in a 3-0 victory against Sampdoria. On November 6, 2008, Ronaldinho defeated Braga in the UEFA Cup group stage, scoring the game-winning goal in the 93rd minute. He concluded the 2008–09 Milan season with 10 goals from 32 appearances across all competitions. A perceived lack of commitment in training and a lifestyle of late-night partying not befitting of an athlete saw him receive criticism. Carlo Ancelotti, his coach at Milan in his first season in Italy, commented, “The decline of Ronaldinho hasn’t surprised me. His physical condition has always been very precarious. “Ronaldinho struggled with fitness, and he was frequently played from the bench to end a disappointing first season for Milan.

season 2009–2010

Ronaldinho wore the number 80, his birth year when playing for Milan in 2010. .
Although Ronaldinho’s second season did not start off well, he quickly found his form and was probably Milan’s finest player for the whole year. In an aggressive 4-3-3 system, newly hired coach Leonardo altered his position from a central attacking midfielder to the left side of midfield, alongside Alexandre Pato on the right.

On January 10, 2010, Milan defeated Juventus 3-0 thanks to two goals from Ronaldinho in an away game. Ronaldinho scored his first hat-trick for Milan in the following game against Siena on January 17 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. The Estado De So Paulo newspaper proclaimed, “Ronaldinho revives his golden years.”On February 16, Ronaldinho took part in a Champions League match against Manchester United. At the San Siro, he scored to put Milan up early on. A goal from Paul Scholes and two goals from Wayne Rooney helped Milan lose the game 3-2.

Despite finishing the season with the most assists in Serie A, Ronaldinho missed three penalties in the domestic campaign, adding to the one missed attempt from the year before. In Milan’s last game under Leonardo, Ronaldinho finished the Serie A season with two goals against Juventus. Luca Antonini had given Milan the lead, and Milan went on to win 3-0.

2009–2010 season
Ronaldinho participated in the team’s assault throughout the first half of the season along with two other recent additions, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho. He made 16 appearances before the winter break, with one goal, and several assists. He left the team around the halfway point of the season, but Milan won the 2010–11 Serie A, therefore he was still entitled to a winner’s medal.

Flamengo

In February 2011, Ronaldinho celebrates a goal for Flamengo.
Ronaldinho joined Flamengo on January 11, 2011, with a deal that runs through 2014. Throughout the transfer saga, numerous reports had linked the former World Player of the Year to join various clubs, including the LA Galaxy of Major League Soccer, Blackburn Rovers of the Premier League, and Brazilian clubs Corinthians and Palmeiras. At his presentation at his new club on January 13, 2011, he was hailed by more than 20,000 supporters.

On February 6, 2011, when Flamengo defeated Boavista 3-2, Ronaldinho scored his team’s first goal. On February 27, when Flamengo defeated Boavista 1-0, Ronaldinho scored his team’s first trophy, the Taça Guanabara. In the 71st minute at Engenho stadium, Ronaldinho curled a right-footed shot past the defense to win his first championship with Flamengo. Flamengo won the Taça Rio and the Campeonato Carioca as a result of the goal, which earned the squad its 19th Taça Guanabara championship. After falling behind 3-0 inside the first 30 minutes of a game against rival Santos on July 27, 2011, Ronaldinho scored a hat-trick to help Flamengo come back and defeat Santos 5-4 on the road. On May 31, 2012, Ronaldinho filed a lawsuit against Flamengo and terminated his contract with the team, alleging that he hadn’t been paid for four months.

Mineiro Atlético

In October 2012, Ronaldinho played for Atlético Mineiro in the Brazilian Série A.
Just four days after leaving Flamengo, Ronaldinho signed a six-month deal with Atlético Mineiro on June 4, 2012. Since Guilherme had already been given his chosen number 10 for the 2012 season, he wore 49 in honor of his mother’s birth year.

Atlético Mineiro had a successful 2012 campaign under Ronaldinho, finishing second in the 2012 Brasileiro and earning a spot in the 2013 Copa Libertadores. On June 9, 2012, Ronaldinho made his debut for Galo, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1-0 away win against Palmeiras[93]. On June 23, 2012, he scored his first goal for the club against Náutico. Ronaldinho was chosen as the league’s top player and received the Bola de Ouro award.

There is a glaring issue raised by Ronaldinho’s career. Should we be appreciative of what he offered us or upset that it was over so quickly? The Raja Casablanca players would vote in that particular direction without a doubt since they were happy to have spent 90 minutes on the field with him.

Tim Vickery on Ronaldinho being surrounded by rival players during the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup and being six years beyond his peak.
The next year, Ronaldinho guided Atlético to its first Copa Libertadores championship and assisted the team in winning the Campeonato Mineiro. During Atlético’s thrilling championship run, which featured back-to-back comebacks from 0-2 first-leg losses in both the semi-finals against Argentine side Newell’s Old Boys and the finals against Club Olimpia of Paraguay, Ronaldinho scored four goals and provided an assist on eight occasions[96]. After extra time and penalty shootouts, Atlético won both matches. Ronaldinho was chosen as the 2013 South American Footballer of the Year despite being six years beyond his prime.

Atlético fell 3-1 to Raja Casablanca in the semi-final of the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup, which was played in Morocco in December. Ronaldinho scored from a free kick. He renewed his contract with Atlético in January 2014.[98] After winning the 2014 Recopa Sudamericana, Ronaldinho left the club in July, reaching an agreement to cancel his contract by mutual consent. As the final whistle blew, the Raja Casablanca team rushed to their childhood idol and stripped him down to his underwear in search of souvenirs.

Querétaro
After becoming a free agent, Ronaldinho received offers from Basingstoke Town of the English Conference South and the newly established Indian Super League team Chennai Titans through their co-owner Prashant Agarwal. However, on September 5, 2014, Ronaldinho signed a two-year contract with Mexican club Querétaro. Ronaldinho made his debut for Querétaro in a 1-0 loss to Tigres UANL where he missed a.

In a road game at the Estadio Azteca on April 18, 2015, Ronaldinho scored twice to help his club defeat Liga MX champions América 4-0[108]. The crowd, who was mostly made up of América fans, gave him a standing ovation after his goals moved him to tears. In an interview after the game, Ronaldinho said, “I never imagined this. It is something that makes me like Mexico even more and I feel right at home.”  This was the second time in Ronaldinho’s career that he had received such an ovation from opposing fans (after Madrid fans had praised his performance in a Barcelona shirt in 2005).

In two consecutive games, Ronaldinho scored two penalties, the second of which qualified Querétaro for the Liga MX playoffs. On May 17, 2015, Querétaro advanced to the semi-finals after beating Veracruz 4-3 overall. When the opposing goalie made contact with the ball during the second game, Ronaldinho was able to score a free kick. Querétaro finally overcame Pachuca on aggregate, 3-2, to proceed to the championship game. Querétaro lost the first leg of the championship match against Santos Laguna 0–5, then won the second leg 3-0, however, the team fell short 3-5 overall. The now-35-year-old Ronaldinho thanked the Querétaro Nation Gallos Blancos for making him proud to wear this shirt and represent this club in June 2015 when he announced his departure from the team.  “I want to thank the Mexican nation for all the days that I have lived with people so special, you will be forever in my heart.”

Fluminense
Ronaldinho announced his return to Brazil on July 11 and signed an 18-month contract with Fluminense on September 28. He made nine appearances during his two-month stay at the club, failing to impress and drawing harsh criticism from the fans. Fluminense sporting director Mario Bittencourt said, “Ronaldinho asked us for a meeting. He respectfully told us he didn’t feel comfortable staying here.

soccer in India

In November 2016, Ronaldinho signed a football during the Web Summit.
Along with Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Michel Salgado, Hernán Crespo, and futsal player Falco, Ronaldinho participated in the Premier Futsal League for the Goa 5’s in July 2016. After two matches, he left India to serve as an ambassador for the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. Cafu took his place.

In the Premier Futsal League, Ronaldinho joined the Delhi Dragons from Delhi from September until early October 2017. In only eight games, he scored 16 goals.

Retirement
There was supposed to be a big celebration three years after his final game for Fluminense, but it never happened. Ronaldinho announced his retirement from football on January 16, 2018, 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.” He is one of only eight players to have won the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League, and the Ballon d’Or.

On July 15, Ronaldinho made an appearance during the 2018 FIFA World Cup’s closing ceremony at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. He played a few bars of the Russian traditional ballad “Kalinka” on an African drum as Aida Garifullina, an opera singer, sang the song.

Worldwide career
youth groups
As a member of the first Brazilian team to win the FIFA U-17 World Championship in 1997, which was held in Egypt, Ronaldinho’s first goal came from the penalty spot against Austria in Brazil’s opening group game, which they won 7-0. Ronaldinho finished with two goals and was given the Bronze Ball award as Brazil scored a total of 21 goals while only allowing 2 goals to be conceded.

Ronaldinho played a lot of international football in 1999. First, he participated in the South American Youth Championship, where he scored three goals in nine games and helped the U20s finish third. Next, he competed in the FIFA World Youth Championship that year in Nigeria, where he scored his first goal in Brazil’s final group game. He then scored three goals as Brazil was defeated by Uruguay in the quarterfinals.

Quick success
He received his first cap for Brazil in a 3-0 victory against Latvia on June 26, three days before the 1999 Copa América began, and he contributed one goal to Brazil’s triumphant Copa América campaign. One week after the Copa América ended, he was called up for the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup, where he scored in all but one of Brazil’s matches, including an 8-2 demolition of Saudi Arabia in the semi-final. Brazil fell to Mexico 4-3 in the championship match. As the best player in the competition, Ronaldinho was given both the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot awards.

Lula, the president of Brazil, and Ronaldinho at Wembley Stadium in London
With the U23 national squad in 2000, Ronaldinho attended the Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Ronaldinho led Brazil to victory in the Pre-Olympic Tournament earlier that year, scoring nine goals in seven games. But at the Olympics, Cameroon defeated Brazil in the quarterfinals and went on to win the gold medal. Ronaldinho played four times but only managed one goal, which came in the Cameroon loss.

2002 World Cup triumph
In the Yokohama Stadium, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, and Ronaldinho warmed up before the match by amusingly competing to out-wizard one another in the rain of Japan.

— The Guardian’s Amy Lawrence on the “three R’s” pact.
The 2002 World Cup was played in South Korea and Japan, and Ronaldinho participated in it as a member of the potent offensive trio known as the “Three Rs,” which also included Ronaldo and Rivaldo from the 1999 Copa América-winning team. Ronaldinho played in five games during the tournament and contributed with two goals and three assists. His first goal came in Brazil’s 4-0 victory over China PR in the group stage.

The most memorable game of Ronaldinho’s World Cup career was on June 21 against England. Ronaldinho saved the game for Brazil after Michael Owen’s 23rd-minute goal put England ahead. Then, in the 50th minute, Ronaldinho took a free-kick from 40 yards out that curled into the top left corner of the net, completely surprising England’s goalkeeper David Seaman and giving Brazil a 2-goal lead. After receiving the ball inside his own half, Ronaldinho ran at the England defense and wrongfooted star defender Ashley Cole with a trademark stepover before passing the ball to Rivaldo on the edge of the penalty area. Although Ronaldinho missed the semi-final due to a suspension, he started for Brazil in the championship match against Germany and helped the country win a record-tying fifth World Cup.

Ronaldinho vs Xavier Margairaz of Switzerland
Confederations Cup victory in 2005
The 2003 Confederations Cup was Ronaldinho’s subsequent international competition, but he failed to register a goal as Brazil was eliminated in the group stage. He was therefore left off of Brazil’s 2004 Copa América team as manager Carlos Alberto Parreira decided to rest his stars and field a team that was primarily made up of reserves.

Ronaldinho, Brazil’s captain, guided his side to its second-ever Confederations Cup victory in 2005 after losing in 1999 and 2003. Ronaldinho scored three goals during the competition and is now tied with Mexican forward Cuauhtémoc Blanco for the tournament’s all-time scoring record with nine goals. He converted a penalty kick in a 3-2 semifinal victory over host Germany, and on June 29, he was named Man of the Match in a 4-1 victory over archrival Argentina.

World Cup 2006

With Brazil in 2006, Ronaldinho
With Adriano, Ronaldo, and Kaká as part of the much-publicized “magic quartet” of offensive players for the 2006 World Cup finals, Ronaldinho was supposed to provide the “Joga Bonito” style of play that was the subject of a significant Nike ad campaign leading up to the competition. However, the team finished with ten goals in five games, with Ronaldinho himself going without a goal and finishing with only one assist.

What response would Ronaldo have? Pelé battled like a lion to get himself in condition for the 1970 World Cup after his humiliation in the 1966 World Cup. Instead of going to the gym, Ronaldinho chose an alternative route that went to a nightclub.

Tim Vickery, January 2018, for ESPN.
After returning home, the squad received heavy criticism from Brazilian fans and the media. A 23-foot (7.5-meter) tall fiberglass and resin monument of Ronaldinho in Chapecó was set ablaze and destroyed by vandals on July 3—two days after Brazil had been eliminated from the tournament.  The statue had been built in 2004 to commemorate his first FIFA World Player of the Year award. Adriano and Ronaldinho traveled back to Barcelona on the same day, and Ronaldinho had a party at his house that lasted until the early hours of the morning. The 2006 World Cup is now seen as the turning point in Ronaldinho’s career, with his time at the top of the game almost up. Displaying a passivity to Brazil’s poor performance, the tournament exacerbated the hard feelings of many Brazilian fans, who felt that they were betrayed by the squad’s lack of effort.1970 Brazil World Cup winner Tosto wrote in O Tempo: “Ronaldinho lacks an important characteristic of Maradona and Pelé

Olympic medal from 2008
After going nearly two years without scoring, Ronaldinho broke his goalless streak on March 24, 2007, when he scored twice in a 4-0 victory over Chile.  He was not selected for the 2007 Copa América after requesting a withdrawal due to fatigue.  On October 18, he was controversially benched by Barcelona after being tardy in leaving Spain after Brazil’s 5-0 friendly victory over Ecuador. He partied all night long at an upscale Rio de Janeiro nightclub with many other Brazilian players in honor of their victory. The next morning at 11 am, Ronaldinho reportedly drove off in the trunk of a vehicle to evade the reporters.

Ronaldinho in the Beijing Olympics in 2008
Ronaldinho was selected for Brazil’s 2008 Summer Olympics team on July 7, 2008, as one of the overage players. Barcelona initially opposed the move due to his upcoming Champions League obligations with the club, but the decision was later overturned as a result of Ronaldinho’s transfer to Milan, who in turn allowed him to travel to Beijing, China. Ronaldinho captained the team and scored his only two goals in a 5-0 victory over New Zealand before Brazil’s match against Br. Brazil defeated Belgium 3-0 to win the bronze medal in the third-place game.

2010 and 2014 were not World Cup years
He was not included in coach Dunga’s final 23-man squad for the Brazilian squad in South Africa for the 2010 World Cup despite his strong desire to compete in the tournament and despite being named to the 30-man provisional squad that was submitted to FIFA on May 11, 2010, despite returning to good form. Detractors claimed that the exclusion of players like Ronaldinho, Alexandre Pato, Adriano, and Ronaldo signaled a shift away from traditional Brazil.

In a friendly match against Ghana in September 2011 at Fulham’s Craven Cottage, Ronaldinho made his comeback to the national team under coach Mano Menezes, playing the whole 90 minutes in a 1-0 victory for Brazil. Then, in a pair of a friendly against Argentina in the following month, he turned in strong displays. He did well in a friendly match against Mexico in October, scoring a free kick to tie the score after Dani Alves was sent. Ultimately, Brazil prevailed thanks to a goal by Marcelo.

In January, coach Luiz Felipe Scolari unexpectedly called up Ronaldinho for a friendly match against England that would be played on February 6 at Wembley Stadium as part of The Football Association (FA150th )’s anniversary. Ronaldinho started in what would be his 100th cap (including non-official matches), and he had a chance to score from the penalty kick, but Joe Hart saved it. He was called up for the Seleço once more, serving as captain of the side against Chile in an international friendly on April 24, 2013, although Ronaldinho was not chosen for the national team for the 2013 Confederations Cup, and he was also left off of Scolari’s roster for the 2014 World Cup finals.

Player information
the kind of game

Barcelona’s home jersey from the 2005–06 season. For most of his club and international career, Ronaldinho wore the number 10.
Ronaldinho is thought to be one of the best and most talented players of all time. Because of his ability to score and set up goals, he was capable of playing in a variety of offensive positions, on either the wing or in a free central role. Throughout his career, he was frequently used as a winger, although he typically played as a classic number 10 in an attacking midfielder.

Ronaldinho was primarily known for his ability to bend the ball from set pieces, but he was also capable of striking the ball with power underneath the wall and occasionally used the knuckle. Despite being primarily a creative player known for his passing, vision, and playmaking ability, Ronaldinho was an accurate finisher with either foot, both inside and outside the penalty area, as well as being a free-kick and penalty-kick specialist.

With his speed, acceleration, athleticism, balance, ball control, and dribbling ability, Ronaldinho was capable of defeating players when going on individual runs. He frequently used a variety of tricks and feints to get past opponents in one on one situations, including stepovers and nutmegs. Physically, Ronaldinho was a powerful and athletic player.

Reception

Ronaldinho was renowned for his inventiveness and vision in addition to his prowess at dribbling and displaying a variety of abilities.
A “fast, brash, skillful, tricky, an uninhibited playmaker” who offers “a mix of goals, assists, skills and a large repertoire of crafty moves,” Ronaldinho was described by ESPN 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.” Zlatan Ibrahimovic added, “Prime Ronaldinho was phenomenal. He made his opponents look like children.”

Former Portugal In their list of “The 101 greatest football players of the last 25 years,” FourFourTwo ranked him fifth in 2019 and referred to him as “possibly the best technician in the history of football in Brazil”. In 2006, Richard Williams of The Guardian called Ronaldinho a “genius,” and his former Barcelona teammate Sylvinho said of him: “He’s so smart, so intelligent, that sometimes it’s difficult to read his mind.” Sylvinho also added: “He

Tosto, a great in Brazil, said of Ronaldinho: “Ronaldinho possesses the dribbling abilities of Rivelino, the vision of Gérson, the energy and happiness of Garrincha, the speed, skill and force of Jairzinho and Ronaldo, the technical ability of Zico and the imagination of Romário.

― Sid Lowe, upon the retirement of Ronaldinho in January 2018.
Ronaldinho was criticized on occasion in the media for his lack of discipline in training and his hedonistic lifestyle off the field, which some pundits believed had an impact on the overall longevity of his career. Tim Ferriss called Ronaldinho “Brazil’s childlike genius who never grew up,” referring to him as “Brazil’s childlike genius who never grew up.”

beyond football

Since February 2006, Ronaldinho (seen above with Barcelona in 2007) has served as a UNICEF ambassador.
One of the highest-paid athletes in the world, Ronaldinho earned over $19 million from endorsements in 2006. After promoting Pepsi for the majority of his career and appearing in commercials alongside 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 public place.

At the beginning of his career, Ronaldinho signed a lucrative 10-year contract with the sportswear company Nike (wearing Nike Tiempo R10 boots designed for him). He has appeared in Nike commercials, including the 2002 “Secret Tournament” commercial (branded “Scorpion KO”) directed by Terry Gilliam. Ronaldinho has appeared in EA Sports’ FIFA video game series, appearing on the cover of FIFA Football 2004, FIFA Street, FIFA 06, FIFA 07, FIFA Street 3, and FIFA 08.

Ronaldinho has had an official role with UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, since February 2006.[202] He was hired by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS in 2011 to raise awareness of the disease among young people and how to prevent it. In March 2015, Ronaldinho was the sixth most popular sportsperson on Facebook, trailing Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, and Pele.

Ronaldinho announced a partnership with World Soccer Coin (WSC) on July 6, 2018, to create a new cryptocurrency called the Ronaldinho Soccer Coin. WSC claims that the coin’s profits will be used to fund football projects like “Ronaldinho Digital Stadiums,” which were announced by Barcelona on February 2, 2017, as an ambassador for the club at institutional events.

Ronaldinho said that he tested positive for COVID-19 on October 25, 2020, and that he was asymptomatic and relocating to Belo Horizonte at the time.[209] A few days later, on October 29, 2020, Ronaldinho made a comment against the Nagorno-Karabakh war and Azerbaijan. He showed support for the people of Azerbaijan. In late July 2021, he traveled to Beirut, Lebanon, to erect a wreath in memory of those who lost their lives in the port explosion.

In a work of fiction, Ronaldinho appears as a character in Rupert Thomson’s Barcelona Dreaming from 2021.

legal issues
The judge ultimately decided to reduce the fine from R$8.5 million to R$6 million for building a fishing platform on the Guaba River in a “heritage-protected” area. Ronaldinho and his brother would fail to pay the fines within the allotted time and have their passports suspended. In July 2019, 57 properties belonging to Ronaldinho as well as his Brazilian and Spanish passports were confiscated because of unpaid taxes and fines .

He was questioned by Paraguayan police in March 2020 after it was claimed that he had used a fake passport to enter the country while visiting for a book signing and charity event. Ronaldinho and his brother were both being held captive there at the time. He participated in a prison futsal tournament while incarcerated, and his team won. He attempted to appeal the detention order but was instructed to remain under house arrest with his brother. On 24 August 2020, Ronaldinho and his brother were released from Paraguayan prison after their judge accepted a plea deal with fines of US$90,000 and US$110,000 for the brothers, respectively. Ronaldinho scored 5 goals and assisted the other 6 goals as they won 11-2 in the finals.