 Ronaldinho in 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Ronaldo de Assis Moreira[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 21 March 1980[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Porto Alegre, Brazil | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder, left winger | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–1998 | Grêmio | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997 | Brazil U17 | 13 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Brazil U20 | 17 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Brazil U23 | 19 | (15) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Brazil Olympic (O.P.) | 8 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2013 | Brazil | 97 | (33) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (born 21 March 1980), commonly known as Ronaldinho Gaúcho (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [ʁonawˈdʒĩɲu ɡaˈuʃu]) or simply Ronaldinho,[note 1] is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or left winger. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he won two FIFA World Player of the Year awards and a Ballon d'Or. He is the only player ever to have won a World Cup, a Copa América, a Confederations Cup, a Champions League, a Copa Libertadores and a Ballon d'Or.[4] A global icon of the sport, Ronaldinho was renowned for his dribbling abilities, free-kick accuracy, his use of tricks, feints, no-look passes, and overhead kicks, as well as his ability to score and create goals. During his career he was one of the most valuable footballers in the world.[5][6][7][8] He is known by the nickname "O Bruxo" ('The Wizard').[9][10]
Ronaldinho made his career debut for Grêmio, in 1998. Aged 20, he moved to Paris Saint-Germain in France, where he won the UEFA Intertoto Cup, before signing for Barcelona in 2003. In his second season with Barcelona, he won his first FIFA World Player of the Year award as Barcelona won the 2004–05 La Liga title. The season that followed is considered one of the best in his career as he was integral in Barcelona winning the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League, their first in fourteen years, and another La Liga title, giving Ronaldinho his first career double, receiving the 2005 Ballon d'Or, and his second FIFA World Player of the Year in the process. After scoring two solo goals in the first 2005–06 El Clásico, Ronaldinho became the second Barcelona player, after Diego Maradona in 1983, to receive a standing ovation from Real Madrid fans at the Santiago Bernabéu. Due to these successes, Ronaldinho is widely credited with changing Barcelona's history.[11]
Following a second-place La Liga finish to Real Madrid in the 2006–07 season and an injury-plagued 2007–08 season, Ronaldinho suffered a decline in his performances—due to a decrease in dedication and focus towards football—and departed Barcelona to join AC Milan, where he won the 2010–11 Serie A. 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. 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, he was voted World Player of the Decade 2000s, ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.[12]
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 FIFA World Cup winning team, positioned alongside Ronaldo and Rivaldo in an attacking trio, and was named in the FIFA 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. He also captained the Brazil Olympic team to a bronze medal in men's football at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
- ^ a b c "FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2013: List of Players: Atletico Mineiro" (PDF). FIFA. 15 December 2013. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 December 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
- ^ Alves, Marcus (18 April 2020). "What Went Wrong for Ronaldinho: From World's Best No. 10 to Prisoner No. 194". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on 5 September 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
- ^ Bagchi, Rob; Smyth, Rob (14 March 2012). "Which team has played the most times in a month?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 5 September 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
- ^ "The only player to have won the six biggest trophies in world football 2023". March 2023. Archived from the original on 18 February 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- ^ "Ronaldinho, Beckham, Rooney: Who was the most valuable footballer in 2004?". 2 August 2021.
- ^ "Most valuable players in 2005 – Ballack ahead of Gerrard and Kaká".
- ^ "Ronaldinho named most valuable footballer over Beckham".
- ^ Sweney, Mark (31 March 2006). "Football's elite gets valued". The Guardian.
- ^ "A flawed genius, showman, superman". Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
- ^ "Ronaldinho Gaúcho is the New Ambassador of Catimba Fantasy Soccer". 6 April 2022. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
- ^ "How Ronaldinho rescued Barcelona from its forgotten nightmare". 19 March 2016. Archived from the original on 25 November 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ "World Soccer". 16 May 2010. Archived from the original on 16 May 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
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