Ronaldinho is widely accepted as one of the most loved football players ever. The Brazilian attacker dazzled on the pitch, both with his mesmerising skills and the smile on his face. Ronaldinho had a very successful career, not only in terms of trophies and achievements, but also in terms of impact. Many of the present generation ballers were massively influenced by him, including a young Lionel Messi at Barcelona.
Ronaldinho: Early life & Beginnings
Ronaldinho was born Ronaldo de Assis Moreira in 1980 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. His first experience in football came through beach football and futsal, where he would go on to develop the skills and the trickery he would later become well known for. His first club was Gremio, where he made his senior debut in 1998. He would go on to star for them, scoring 22 goals in 47 matches as an 18 year old.
Ronaldinho’s Family
Ronaldinho’s father was an amateur footballer and shipyard worker, while his mother worked as a salesperson and later a nurse. His elder brother had signed for Gremio but an injury ended his football career. He later worked as Ronaldinho’s manager while his sister worked as his press coordinator.
Ronaldinho is a father to a son Joao, who has played in the Barcelona youth system. He was married to Janaina Nattielle Mendes for three years and she is the mother of his child.
Ronaldinho’s Career
Club career
Ronaldinho shone as a teenager for Gremio and needless to say, he caught the eye of European clubs. Arsenal were the first to the scene but a work permit issue stopped the transfer. At the French capital, the Brazilian had a very mixed time. He gave ample visuals of his quality but failed to make enough of an impact for the team to win anything. But there were also negatives during his time at Paris. There were continuous rifts with the manager amid claims that the player was too focused on partying and the nightlife. After two seasons, he moved to Barcelona.
It was as if Ronaldinho and Barcelona were made for each other. The Brazilian went to the top of the world with the Blaugrana, making the world fall in love with bag of tricks and dribbles. The highlight reel from his stint at the club speaks volumes as do his trophies. Ronaldinho helped Barca to the 2006 Champions League title, also lifting the Ballon D’or in 2005. Several, including Messi and Xavi have credited him for kickstarting the era of Barcelona dominance that followed. However the arrival of Pep Guardiola coincided with his downfall and Barcelona made the decision to sell him to AC Milan.
Although Ronaldinho was never the same player again, he would go on to entertain people at Milan alongside the likes of David Beckham. However he often struggled with fitness and would spend only two and a half years at the club. A return to Brazil followed with Flamengo. Despite making a great start on the field, this stint would be cut short in 2012, with Ronaldinho alleging non payment of fees as the reason for leaving the club. He would then move on to Atletico Mineiro, followed by Querétaro in Mexico and a return to Brazil with Fluminense. He later also played in a futsal tournament in India.
International career
Ronaldinho had a noteworthy international career as well. His performances were noticeably good right from the youth national teams. He was an important part in the Brazil U17 World Cup winning team in 1997 and was adjudged the third best player in the tournament.
He received his first senior cap in 1999, days before the Copa America kicked off. Brazil would go on to win the tournament and Ronaldinho would find himself on the scoresheet once during it. Immediately after that, he went to the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup, where he scored in every single game apart from the loss to Mexico in the final. He ended up winning both the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball in the tournament.
Then followed the 2002 World Cup. Brazil would go on to win the tournament. It was dominated by their trident up front which earned the nickname ‘three Rs’ – Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Rivaldo. He scored 2 goals and assisted 3 in the tournament. This tournament also featured one of his most iconic goals, a freekick from 40 yards out against England in the quarterfinals. True to his maverick fashion though, he would be sent off minutes after that piece of magic.
Ronaldinho also subsequently captained Brazil to the 2005 Confederations Cup title and is the joint record goalscorer in the history of the tournament.
Despite a very disappointing 2006 World Cup, Ronaldinho remains one of just eight players to have won the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League and the Ballon d’Or.
Ronaldinho’s career stats
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998–2001 Grêmio 89 (47)
2001–2003 Paris Saint-Germain 55 (17)
2003–2008 Barcelona 145 (70)
2008–2011 AC Milan 76 (20)
2011–2012 Flamengo 56 (23)
2012–2014 Atlético Mineiro 58 (20)
2014–2015 Querétaro 25 (8)
2015 Fluminense 7 (0)
Total 511 (205)
Ronaldinho’s documentary
In 2020, a documentary called ‘Ronaldinho: The Happiest Man in the World ‘ was released which shed light not only on the journey of Ronaldinho to becoming a footballer but also his famous stint as a Barcelona player. It was written & Directed by The Douglas Brothers.
Ronaldinho’s net worth
It is fair to say Ronaldinho lived a fairly lavish and carefree life as a footballer. At his peak he is said to have amassed a net worth of 90 million US Dollars. However according to reports from last year, Ronaldinho now has massive debts and is in deep financial trouble. Two of his properties were reportedly auctioned off last year in order to pay off these debts.
Ronaldinho’s height
Ronaldinho is believed to be 182 cm or 6 feet tall.