Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (born 21 March 1980), commonly known as Ronaldinho Gaúcho or simply Ronaldinho, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or left winger for Serie C side Ravenna. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he won the Ballon d'Or, two FIFA World Player of the Year awards, and was named the FIFPro Player of the Season twice. He is the only player ever to have won all of the following: a World Cup, a Copa América, a Confederations Cup, a Champions League, a Copa Libertadores and a Ballon d'Or. A global icon of the sport, Ronaldinho was renowned for his dribbling abilities, free-kick accuracy, his use of tricks, feints, and passing, as well as his ability to score and create goals. Also known by the nickname "O Bruxo" ('The Wizard'), during his career, he was one of the most valuable sportsmen in the world.
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. He also captained the Brazil Olympic team to a bronze medal in men's football at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Early life
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira was born on 21 March 1980 in the city of Porto Alegre, the state capital of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. His mother, Miguelina Elói Assis dos Santos, was a salesperson who studied to become a nurse. His father, João de Assis Moreira, was a shipyard worker and a footballer for the local club Esporte Clube Cruzeiro (not to be confused with the larger Cruzeiro Esporte Clube). After Ronaldo's elder brother Roberto signed with Grêmio, the family moved to a home in the more affluent Guarujá section of Porto Alegre, which was a gift from Grêmio to convince Roberto to stay at the club. Still, Roberto's career was ultimately cut short by injury. When Ronaldo was eight years old, his father hit his head and drowned in the swimming pool at their new home. Roberto has acted as Ronaldo's manager, while his sister Deisi has worked as his press coordinator.
Ronaldo's football skills began to blossom at the age of eight, and he was first given the nickname Ronaldinho—inho, meaning 'small', also a term of endearment — because he was often the youngest and the smallest player in youth club matches. He developed an interest in futsal and beach football, which later expanded to organized football. Many of his signature moves originate from futsal, especially his ball control.Futsalfeed.com (14 March 2020). "Top 10 Footballers Who Played Futsal! ", "futsalfeed.com". Retrieved 14 March 2020. His first brush with the media came at the age of 13, when he scored all 23 goals in a 23–0 victory against a local team. Ronaldinho was identified as a rising star at the 1997 U-17 World Championship in Egypt, in which he scored two goals on penalty kicks.
Growing up, Ronaldinho's idols included the World Cup–winning stars Rivelino (from 1970); Diego Maradona (from 1986); Romário (from 1994); and his two future international teammates Ronaldo and Rivaldo (who would, together with him, form the attacking trio in Brazil's 2002 World Cup–winning team).
Club career Grêmio
Ronaldinho's career began with the Grêmio youth squad. He made his senior side debut during the 1998 Copa Libertadores.Radnedge, Keir, "The priceless prince of Barcelona", World Soccer, January 2005, pp. 8–9. 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.Jethro Soutar (2006). "Ronaldinho: Football's Flamboyant Maestro". p. 54. Robson, 2006. 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."Wenger bemoans permit rules" . Sky Sports. Retrieved 16 January 2020. 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.
Paris Saint-Germain
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: I'd like to bow out at PSG" . ESPN FC. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
2001–02 season 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. In a Round of 16 match against Guingamp, Ronaldinho scored two second-half goals in the game after having entered the match as a half-time substitute. Despite Ronaldinho's initial success with the club, the season was marred by controversy with Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Fernández, claiming that the Brazilian was too focused on the Parisian nightlife rather than football, and complained that his holidays in Brazil never ended at the scheduled times.
2002–03 season Despite repeated rifts with Fernández, Ronaldinho returned to the team for the 2002–03 season, with the player switching to the number 10 shirt. Although his performances in his second season with the club were underwhelming compared to his first, Ronaldinho performed admirably with the club. On 26 October 2002, he scored two goals in PSG's 3–1 victory over Classique rivals Marseille. The first goal was a free kick, which curled past numerous Marseille players in the 18-yard box before sailing past goalkeeper Vedran Runje. In the return match, he again scored in PSG's 3–0 victory at the Stade Vélodrome, running half the length of the field before flicking the ball over the goalkeeper."France round-up: PSG humble Marseille" . UEFA. Retrieved 26 May 2014. On 22 February 2003, Ronaldinho scored the goal of the season (chosen by public vote) against Guingamp—he beat one opponent before playing a one-two to beat another, then lifted the ball over a third before beating a fourth with a step over (dropping his shoulder, moving right but going left) and finished by lifting the ball over the goalkeeper.
Ronaldinho was also praised for his performance in the Coupe de France when he scored both goals in the club's 2–0 win over Bordeaux in the semi-finals, which inserted PSG into the final. After scoring his first goal in the 22nd minute, Ronaldinho capped the game in the 81st minute, accurately chipping the ball at the 18-yard box over the head of goalkeeper Ulrich Ramé, despite Ramé being in a favorable position. For his performance, Ronaldinho was given a standing ovation by the Parisian supporters. Unfortunately for the club, however, Ronaldinho and the team failed to capture the form that got them to the final as they bowed out 2–1 to Auxerre due to a last-minute goal from Jean-Alain Boumsong. Despite Ronaldinho's performances, the club finished in a disappointing 11th-placed position. Following the season, Ronaldinho declared he wanted to leave the club after the capital club failed to qualify for any European competition."Real fans urge club to sign Ronaldinho" . The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
Barcelona
Newly elected FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta stated, "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.""Barcelona: Football's Greatest" (2013). Pitch International LLP. Henry remained with Arsenal, and Laporta then promised to bring Beckham to the club, but following his transfer to Real Madrid, Barcelona entered the running for Ronaldinho and outbid Manchester United for his signature in a €30 million deal.
2003–04 season