Is this Former Chelsea Superstar, the Best Man to Play at Arsenal after David Seaman?

Many have criticised the transfer policy of Arsene Wenger over the years, the fact that he does not spend enough to strengthen his squad has often come back to haunt him in the long road of the Premier League title race. We have seen how his teams have capitulated post-December either due to a dip in form or the numerous injuries, which for some reason happens more at Arsenal than any other club.

While Arsenal are still reeling under the problems of injuries to players this season, one signing was all the French manager made for the club. That was the signing of experienced Premier League veteran Petr Cech from Chelsea. It was a surprise to see Jose Mourinho give up such a talented football to a direct rival and it has paid off for Arsenal this season.

Petr Cech Arsenal

While Arsene sent Szczesny out on loan at Roma, Petr Cech didn’t start the season in the best way by conceding two goals in a 2-0 home loss against West Ham United but his performances have gotten better as the season has progressed and he has added something to the Arsenal backline that has been missing since the days of David Season, authority and dependability between the sticks.

Cech could be the best goalkeeper in years for Arsenal

David Seaman is a legend at Arsenal, apart from the World Cup in 2002 when Ronaldinho caught him off his line, the Arsenal goalkeeper is probably one of the best English goalkeepers to have played the modern game and Arsenal have lacked someone even remotely as good as Seaman over the years.

It isn’t due to a lack of options, Arsenal have tried a range of goalkeepers, starting from the hot-headed Jens Lehmann to Lukas Fabianski to Manuel Almunia, almost every goalkeeper has had their follies which has cost Arsenal sometime or another. Even the latest signing, David Ospina had a recent howler in the Champions League which cost Arsenal at least a draw at home.

Petr Cech is a leader at the back, Arsenal have needed someone like this for years and at only 33-years-old, Cech, unlike most other positions which require players to mull retirement at this age, can continue notching up appearances and performing to the highest level. Just like Gianluigi Buffon, Cech can play for years on end and as in the case of most goalkeepers, get better.

Petr Cech

Arsenal didn’t buy any outfield player in the summer transfer window, unheard of in the Premier League context, but the signing they made was one of the most important. Cech has experience of winning titles, medals and of leading from the back. The defence will be accentuated with the composure and reliability of Cech, we saw that against Liverpool where the Czech goalkeeper did extremely well to keep the likes of Coutinho and Benteke out.

Cech might have been one of the more economical buys in this transfer window but in the case of Arsenal, he could be their greatest buy this season and easily is the best goalkeeper they have got since the days of David Seaman. The question that needs to be asked is, can Arsenal win the league with this squad?

The three secrets of Barcelona star Neymar's adaptation

When Neymar Jr goes out to play he turns the pitch into a huge canvas. He comes from the classic Brazilian school. The Barcelona No 11 is a prodigy of individual technique. His happiness, like with Garrincha, comes from dribbling.

Neymar, however, differs from his compatriots, by being the first "crack" from his country that has run his career so far in a 100 per cent professional way.

From when he exploded at Santos FC in 2010, at just 18, a project was organised around him to give him the fundamentals to go on and win a Ballon d'Or. 

With his family company NR Sports, it wasn't just about image rights, but a comprehensive vision encompassing speech therapy, psychology, 'media training' and personalized fitness. 'Ney' was formed on and off the pitch.

"Neymar Jr is a perfectionist, sometimes it's better to say nothing because he's obsessed, he knows perfectly where he's gone wrong and can improve," said his coach at Santos, Muricy Ramalho. 

The main challenge Ney had when arriving at Barcelona was not to compete with Messi, and much less stoke up memories of Ronaldo, Romario, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho. His opponent was himself. His process of adaptation was completely different to the 4Rs - all of them had come to the Camp Nou after playing for a different European club. 

His professional environment took work. Neymar's father told SPORT: "Neymar Jr is a Brazilian footballer who comes from a culture that trains twice a day and plays many more game. The first year we realized that the culture of Europe is a single workout with more intensity, Neymar needed to know how the new system worked." 

And after the first year, Neymar and his father decided to establish in Barcelona their own sports structure, with two professionls from Santos FC, whom they knew perfectly: Ricardo Rosa as a trainer and the physiotherapist Rafael Martini. They subsequently denied that the decision did not sit well with some of the Blaugrana coaching staff.

"We coordinated with Barcelona and introduced his own trainer and a physiotherapist, we judge it necessary to leave Neymar in the best possible physical condition along with the club and the results have come - Neymar has a higher percentage of finishes [in games], we managed to protect him from injuries," said his father.

"It is true that Neymar has gained muscle mass, but we are looking for other things, this structure is to prevent certain injuries occurring, preventive work is done."

Meanwhile, the forward was very receptive to the indications of the club. "The club nutritionist changed his diet," added his father. "Culturally this is something difficult for Brazilians, who have a base of rice and beans."

"Everything changes with respect to Brazil. Schedules, habits need to adapt and we have done everything possible to speed up this process, last year this was ok, we won the treble, and this year we go for more!"

Ronaldinho struck down with virus

RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Ronaldinho has been ruled out of Fluminense's next two Brazilian Serie A matches due to a virus, the club said on Tuesday.

The 35-year-old missed Fluminense's 3-1 defeat to Flamengo on Sunday after complaining of fever and muscle soreness.

Doctors ordered the two-time FIFA World Player of the Year winner to rest after he underwent tests on Tuesday, newspaper O Globo reported.

Ronaldinho has made six appearances for Fluminense since joining the Rio de Janeiro club in July.

He has yet to score and was jeered by fans during the team's 2-1 loss to Atletico Mineiro on August 30.

Fluminense will meet Coritiba away on Wednesday followed by a trip to Sport Recife on Sunday.

The four-time Brazilian Serie A winners are currently ninth in the standings with 33 points from 23 matches.

Done Deal: Liverpool seal transfer for 'over-achieving' attacker who idolises 'Ronaldinho' and Gerrard

Over the last couple of months, a whole host of Academy players have secured long and short-term loan deals, and promising winger Ryan Kent is the latest youngster to leave the club on loan.

On Thursday, Liverpool FC posted the following confirmation on the club's official twitter account:

"Liverpool FC can confirm that Ryan Kent has completed a youth loan move to Coventry City".

The Liverpool Echo further clarified:

"The 18-year-old winger will join Tony Mowbray’s League One outfit on a youth loan until January".

Reacting to the deal, Mowbray enthused:

“He [Kent] is my type of footballer. He can handle the ball, play off both feet, travel with the ball and play anywhere behind that main striker, so it makes sense".

Kent - who is yet to feature for Liverpool's first team - added:

"Coventry are a club with a lot of pedigree, with a lot of good players, and a good manager and I can't wait to get started. I hope I can bring a lot of flair and energy to the team."

Kent's description on the official LFC website:

"A dynamic winger who can play on the left or right side, Kent loves to take on defenders and cause endless problems for the opposition".

Hmmm. A 'dynamic winger' who can play 'left or right', and 'loves to take on defenders'. Well, it's not like Liverpool need a player of that description right now, is it?

Steve McManaman certainly thinks that Kent is destined for great things. In May, he told the Liverpool Echo:

“Sheyi (Ojo), Ryan Kent and Harry Wilson, when they attack players, they’re very, very confident and they’re playing very well. I think they’ve come on leaps and bounds this year, I’m really impressed. If anything they’re over-achieving".

Kent - who idolises Ronaldinho and Steven Gerrard - is the same age as Jordon Ibe, so why didn't Rodgers just keep him in the squad and give him a chance to make an impact?

Ronaldinho in need of rest at Fluminense

Ronaldinho had a quiet game as Fluminense beat Paysandu in the Copa do Brasil yesterday, being substituted after 70 minutes and is not yet at his best according confirmed to his coach Enderson Moreira, who wishes to give the former AC Milan star a little rest despite his club’s hectic schedule.

Moreira told gathered press that it would not be easy to do without his side’s playmaker: "We had a fitness program for him already. But the big problem is the sequence of games. You will see the injuries that will effect all teams. This will be true of muscle injury or glitches. We saw Ronaldinho a little tired today and the idea is to let him rest for the match against Joinville. But we'll see after the trainings how he feels. "

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 12th (NB: this is not necessarily Jacob Steinberg’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position: 12th

Odds to win the league (via Oddschecker): 1,500-1

The reaction will be like a knowing tut from your mum when you cheerfully ignore her pleas to wear a jumper before venturing outside into the cold and return home with a sore throat and an all-consuming desire for sympathy.

If West Ham find themselves shivering in the winter months, they will not be able to say that no one warned them about the consequences of letting go of Sam Allardyce. They have been told repeatedly and ploughed on regardless, paying little heed to the received wisdom that saying goodbye to Allardyce is asking for relegation.

The one snag in that theory is that Newcastle United were relegated not because they sacked Allardyce but because Mike Ashley was presiding over a shambles, Bolton Wanderers went down five years and three managers after his decision to leave and Blackburn Rovers, well, Venky’s were too busy concentrating on signing Ronaldinho and David Beckham to hire a proper manager. It is true that West Ham are playing a dangerous game by trusting that Slaven Bilic represents an upgrade on Allardyce a year before their move to the Olympic Stadium, and Thursday night’s defeat at Astra Giurgiu means the team go into the Premier League season having already been knocked out of Europe, but it is not guaranteed that they will struggle domestically.

West Ham needed a fresh start after four years of grumbling about Allardyce. His relationship with the board and supporters had reached the point of no return at the end of last season. Although he won promotion in his first season and established West Ham in the Premier League by instilling a tougher mentality at a club whose players have had the attention span of Homer Simpson confronted by a dog with a puffy tail in the past, there was always discontent over the style of football, which was perceived to be negative and dull. Allardyce could have sneezed on the touchline and the crowd would have taken it as a sign that he was sticking 10 men behind the ball.

The reality of the Allardyce era lay somewhere between the stereotype of constant tedium and his Allardici self-hype. His football could sometimes be invigorating if one had an open mind about it, especially when Andy Carroll’s absence forced him to think outside the lump-it-in-the-box template in the first half of last season and he hit upon a diamond formation which brought the best out of Stewart Downing. However the manner of West Ham’s plummet from the top four after Christmas sealed Allardyce’s fate and a dreadful run of results convinced the owners, David Sullivan and David Gold, not to offer him a new contract. Injuries did not help Allardyce’s cause but those who insisted he had run out of ideas pointed out that he was overseeing relegation form: West Ham’s only league wins in 2015 came against Burnley,Hull City and Sunderland.

So in comes Bilic, a charismatic former West Ham defender who enjoys the backing of the crowd for now, although anyone who recalls the rancour that followed the Croatian’s controversial move to Everton in 1997 knows that attempts to depict his appointment as an emotional homecoming are slightly wide of the mark.

Bilic is still popular in east London, however, and it has been likely that he would be West Ham’s manager one day ever since his Croatia side made an impression on people in this country by qualifying for Euro 2008 at England’s expense. He has always wanted to manage in England and, unlike Allardyce, he will endear himself to supporters by saying the right things. In Turkey he was seen as something of a politician during his time at Besiktas and that charm, his appreciation of knowing what people want to hear, should buy him more time if West Ham do not hit the ground running.

A manager’s utterances should not be that important, yet they do matter in times of adversity. Although Allardyce was abrasive and never got to grips with understanding West Ham, his immense self-confidence gave him a thick skin despite the criticism that flew his way throughout most of his tenure and ensured that his players respected him.

Pinteres

 Stewart Downing impressed last season but has left for Middlesbrough. Photograph: Tony O'Brien/Action Images

It is not that Bilic will be a happy-clappy cheerleader, constantly banging on about the West Ham Way and the undisputable fact that they won the World Cup in 1966, but the early impression is that he will bring a touch more glamour and excitement than Allardyce. He is the kind of person who instinctively appeals to supporters and another populist move was the addition of Julian Dicks, a West Ham legend, to Bilic’s staff. Dicks managed West Ham Ladies last season, but he does not have much coaching experience.

Equally, however, Besiktas were unable to use their stadium because of construction work during Bilic’s two years there and their title challenge last season was held back by their Europa League campaign. They pushed Arsenal hard despite losing 1-0 on aggregate to them in their Champions League play-off last August, they took four points off Tottenham Hotspur in their Europa League group and beat Liverpool on penalties in the round of 32. However a source of concern is that Bilic was not appointed in the immediate aftermath of Allardyce’s departure. It had been widely accepted that Allardyce was going by the time he left on the final day of the season but Bilic was not installed until 9 June.Whether these changes will prove enough on the pitch remains unclear and it is not immediately obvious that Bilic is a better manager than Allardyce, who, for all his faults, understands the demands of English football. Bilic had a positive impact with Croatia and they were unfortunate to lose a dramatic quarter-final on penalties to Turkey at Euro 2008. His time at Lokomotiv Moscow was a disappointment and he did not win the Turkish league with Besiktas.

West Ham were frustrated in discussions with other managers. David Moyes decided to prolong his stay at Real Sociedad, Unai Emery could not be tempted away from Sevilla after they qualified for the Champions League and Rafael Benítez surprisingly decided to accept an offer from Real Madrid instead. Marseille’s Marcelo Bielsa also featured in the club’s thinking. In the end, they plumped for Bilic.

Preparations for the new season have not been ideal, with West Ham’s unexpected entry into Europe via the Fair Play League forcing them to start their season with a qualifier against the Andorran part-timers of FC Lusitans on 2 July. They have been mixing pre-season friendlies with competitive, meaningful matches and it has not been straightforward doing so while some players have been missing, others have been getting up to speed and transfer business is still being conducted.

Reading too much into pre-season games is a waste of time, but a couple of unconvincing performances have made the mood more cautious. A side that was packed with reserves needed penalties to beat Malta’s FC Birkirkara on penaltiesin the second qualifying round and how very West Ham that they should qualify for Europe because of their fine disciplinary record and then pick up three stupid red cards in their first five matches. Diafra Sakho and James Tomkins reacted to provocation against Lusitans and Birkirkara respectively, and West Ham squandered a 2-0 lead against FC Astra Giurgi after James Collins was sent off for two quick bookings in the first leg last week.

Ultimately going out to Astra on Thursday night might have be a blessing in disguise. West Ham finished 12th last season, which hardly suggests that they are equipped to deal with the demands of the Europa League. Better sides than West Ham have struggled to recover after their exertions on a Thursday night and their squad lacks depth. The priority is staying up; imagine the embarrassment if West Ham’s final season at Upton Park ends with them going down and beginning the Olympic Stadium era in the Championship.

That is the worst-case scenario, although with a couple more additions in key areas, West Ham should be strong enough to finish in mid-table. They played well for an hour against Astra. Bilic used a 4-3-1-2 formation which had Dimitri Payet operating in a free role and the French winger can be expected to dazzle after his arrival from Marseille. Tempting Payet to West Ham is a sign of ambition, assuming he settles in England and that he does not turn out to be more of a Rémy Cabella than a David Ginola. Payet created plenty of goals for Marseille last season.

However the 2-2 draw with Astra was marred by Enner Valencia’s injury. Shortly after Valencia had given West Ham the lead with a powerful header from Payet’s cross, he was taken off on a stretcher. The good news is that he does not need surgery on his knee and ankle and should be out for roughly 10 weeks rather than the six months that were initially feared. The bad news is that Valencia’s absence means that with Andy Carroll not expected to return from his knee injury until October, West Ham are one Sakho injury away from having to rely on Modibo Maïga and Mauro Zárate up front.

What will Bilic have planned for Carroll when he returns? Carroll was Allardyce’s biggest signing at £15m from Liverpool two years ago but he has been blighted by injuries at Upton Park, every promising run of form scuppered by another lengthy spell on the sidelines. As likable as the big striker is, he is veering dangerously close to being written off as a dud. Yet although he may not be an automatic starter under Bilic, he can still be a hugely effective option, not least when he is paired with another striker. His lack of pace makes West Ham predictable, easy to defend against and too quick to launch the ball long when Carroll plays on his own up front.West Ham must sign a striker, because Maïga is out of his depth and Zárate is a luxury player who hangs on to the ball for too long. They are trying to get a work permit for Atlético Madrid’s Mexican forward Raúl Jiménez and are also targeting Queens Park Rangers’ Charlie Austin. Jiménez was not prolific for Atlético; QPR will need to lower their £15m valuation of Austin.

They were at their most devastating as an attacking force last season when Sakho and Valencia started together. Sakho surely would have scored more than 12 goals after joining for £3.5m from Metz if his season had not been prematurely ended by a thigh injury in April and the pair were pivotal in West Ham’s victories over Liverpool and Manchester City during the autumn.

Pintere

 What will Slaven Bilic do with Andy Carroll when the striker is fit? Photograph: Jamie McDonald/Getty Image

That was when West Ham were playing with a diamond in midfield. Downing was superb in that system and watching him link up with Payet would have been a delight – yet he was allowed to follow his heart and move back to Middlesbrough. Payet was supposed to complement Downing rather than be his replacement and his departure has left West Ham searching for another creative player.

Matt Jarvis has no end product and even less confidence, Morgan Amalfitano is too inconsistent to start regularly, Martin Samuelsen is only 18 and West Ham have taken a punt on Manuel Lanzini, a 22-year-old Argentinian forward who has joined on loan from Al Jazira Club in Qatar. For what it is worth, Lanzini’s nickname is The Jewel and will hopefully turn out to be more useful than the last South American player brought in from Qatar, Nenê. Payet will need some more assistance than just Lanzini and West Ham are targeting Barcelona’s young Croatian, Alen Halilovic.

Another Barcelona player who could join is Alex Song, who was on loan at West Ham last season. He made them tick before Christmas and although his form fizzled out, signing him on a permanent basis would undeniably be a coup. The deal was held up after Song injured an ankle.

If it goes through, he will slip into a midfield that already has a solid look to it. The versatile Cheikhou Kouyaté had an outstanding debut season in England and Mark Noble is dependable, while Pedro Obiang was highly rated at Sampdoria.

Diego Poyet, neat and tidy, will hope to be involved more and Reece Oxford, who is only 16, has been assured as a defensive midfielder in pre-season, but Kevin Nolan’s best days are behind him. The captain is too slow, although he can be a useful ally for Bilic in the dressing room if he is ready to accept a reduced role.

Leadership should not be an issue, though. West Ham’s defence will be tough to penetrate if Bilic organises the team well. In goal, Adrián has developed into a cult hero, saving more than his fair share of penalties, and will be backed up by Darren Randolph, a free transfer from Birmingham City.

The right-back will be Carl Jenkinson, who has joined on loan from Arsenal again, and the diligent Aaron Cresswell will continue on the left. Joey O’Brien will provide cover for Jenkinson, Stephen Hendrie for Cresswell after his arrival from Hamilton Academicals.

Bilic’s options at centre-back are enviable. Winston Reid’s partner is likely to be Angelo Ogbonna after the Italy international left Juventus and Tomkins and Collins are able deputies. The Canada international, Doneil Henry, will push for recognition, while Reece Burke has impressed during a few cameos. Allardyce was content with only three centre-backs, a gamble that backfired on a couple of occasions, but West Ham have competition for places now.

There are holes that need to be filled elsewhere, but many of the pieces are there for Bilic, who needs to assemble them in the right order quickly. West Ham are in a unique position, the pressure on them to stay up more extreme than it has ever been. Relegation this season would be disaster from both a financial and PR perspective. Leaving Upton Park will be enough of an emotional wrench without people queuing up to tell them how misguided they were to get rid of Allardyce come the end of the season.

Ronaldinho: My legs are trembling

The veteran revealed his desperation to pull on a Fluminense shirt for the first time after completing his move to the club

Ronaldinho says his legs are "trembling with desire" to play football after joining Fluminense on a free transfer.

The 35-year-old left Mexican side Queretaro earlier this summer after spending last season with the club, but still retains the drive to play on.

He said: "It's good to return for a big club. I'm very happy and motivated.

"I wanted to play after seeing the stadium (Maracana) and the fans with all their support. My legs are trembling with desire to play. On July 27th, I start preparations."

Ronaldinho added that his decision to join the club was the result of his desire to lift the Brazilian championship - a title that has so far eluded him during his career.

"If I could be on the field today, I would. It proves my desire to make history in this club," he continued.

"What motivated me is a title that I don't have, Brazilian championship. It motivates me a lot. It is a great club with great players, we have everything to be champions."

The former Brazil international had also been linked with Vasco da Gama but said there was never a firm offer on the table.

"It's my brother that talks to clubs. I talked with other players here in Fluminense to find out how everything is here, it motivated me. The rest I leave with my brother.

"Fred told me about life at the club and living in Rio - I hope we can be successful together."

'Lionel Messi is Pele of this generation'

Former Brazilian football player Juliano Belletti says his ex-Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi is the "Pele of this generation". 

Rio de Janeiro: Former Brazilian football player Juliano Belletti says his ex-Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi is the "Pele of this generation".

Messi returned to his best in the second half of the season to inspire the Catalan giants to a treble but came under criticism once again following Argentina's defeat in the Copa America final.

Belletti, who bagged two La Liga titles and one Champions League with Messi at Camp Nou, says the Argentine does not deserve the severe jeers from his countrymen.

"Messi is the Pele of this generation. I do not understand the criticism of him in his own country. You cannot criticise a player like Messi. But it also happened to Ronaldinho in Brazil," Belletti was quoted as saying by goal.com.

The Brazilian also jumped to the defence of his countryman Neymar, who was red carded in the Copa America during the group stage and then was suspended for the rest of the tournament.

"He's young. People think he's older than he is. He still has time to mature. He should rest well and have a good holiday because he deserves it," the former defender said. 

Ronaldinho's top five Barcelona goals

On Sunday afternoon, Ronaldinho was unveiled as a Flamengo player at the age of 35.

Since 2011, the playmaker has been plying his trade in his native Brazil and Mexico, yet it was during a five-year stint at Barcelona where he truly made his stamp on club football.

As he prepares for a new adventure with the eighth club of his career, Sports Mole has selected five of the best goals that the two-time FIFA World Player of the Year scored while at the Camp Nou.

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5. Real Madrid (November 2005)

Such was the standard of performance that Ronaldinho produced at the Bernabeu, many supporters of Real Madrid - Barcelona's most bitterest of rivals - stood to applaud the Brazilian. He scored twice in a 3-0 victory, the first of which was particularly memorable. Having accelerated away from a sliding Sergio Ramos, Ronaldinho cut inside a wrong-footed Ivan Helgura, before sending a low shot inside Iker Casillas's near post as the Madrid goalkeeper anticipated an effort across the face of his goal.

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4. Osasuna (February 2004)

For much of the 2003-04 La Liga campaign, Barcelona's position in the top four and subsequently their place in the following season's Champions League was under threat. But, this winner against Osasuna lifted Barca into fourth spot and from that moment onwards the going was much smoother. When Edgar Davids drilled the ball back into the home side's penalty area, there was still plenty for Ronaldinho to do. Yet, he made light work of lifting the ball over Alfredo and then smashing a volley into the bottom corner of the net. It secured a first victory for Barca away in Osasuna for some 10 years.

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3. Chelsea (March 2005)

Barcelona may have exited the Champions League to their Premier League counterparts in this round of 16 encounter, but Ronaldinho was still able to contribute one of the competition's best ever goals. Twenty yards from goal and with Ricardo Carvalho in close proximity, Barca's number 10 shimmied, dummied and faked all on the spot to open up just enough space for him to toe-poke a shot beyond a rooted Petr Cech in the home goal.

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2. Villarreal (November 2006)

Barcelona have scored a number of memorable goals against Villarreal in recent years, but few have been better than this one from Ronaldinho, who earlier in the game had fired in his 50th league for the club. The chest control from a trademark Xavi cross forced Ronaldinho away from the target, but rather than allow the ball to drop, he instead took virtually everyone by surprise with an acrobatic overhead kick that whistled into the roof of the away side's net.

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1. Sevilla (September 2003)

If Ronaldinho was feeling any pressure on his home La Liga debut in Barcelona colours, he certainly didn't show it. Having inherited possession just inside his own half, Ronaldinho - with his famous long hair bobbing around wildly - proceeded forward with haste. Now deep into Sevilla territory, he danced away fromJose Luis Marti and Francisco Casquero before he lashed a thunderbolt shot past visiting goalkeeper Antonio Notario and in off the underside of the crossbar. All in all, it wasn't a bad way for Ronaldinho to open his Barcelona account following a summer switch from Paris Saint-Germain.

Ronaldinho eager for Fluminense debut

Former World Player of the Year Ronaldinho has admitted that his legs have been "trembling with desire" ahead of his Fluminense debut.

The 35-year-old, who agreed a move to the Maracana-based outfit last week, was unveiled to supporters before yesterday's defeat at the hands of rivals Vasco de Gama.

Speaking to reporters, the ex-Barcelona playmaker said: "It's good to return for a big club. I'm very happy and motivated.

"I wanted to play after seeing the stadium and the fans with all their support. My legs are trembling with desire to play."

It is expected that Ronaldinho will make his first outing in a Fluminense shirt early next month.

Ronaldinho signs contract with Brazilian side Fluminense

The ex-Blaugrana star is still going at the age of 35 and has signed for a new club



Former Barcelona star and two-time FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldinho has penned a deal with Brazilian outfit Fluminense.

He had been negotiating with the team for around a week and confirmed the move on Saturday night.

The 35-year-old had been without a club since leaving Mexican side Queretaro last month.

Antalyaspor president Gultekin Gencer had claimed a deal with Ronaldinho was close at the end of June.

"We reached an agreement with Ronaldinho," he said. "I think within two days it'll be made official."

Rivaldo and Roberto Carlos are way too old to be playing professional soccer, yet here we are

There’s something about the impish, carefree joy of Brazilian teams not managed by Luiz Felipe Scolari that evokes a sense of eternal youth. Sadly, even the greats must succumb to the inevitability of the aging process, and Rivaldo and Roberto Carlos are now so old that they use the word millennial.

Yet they and their compatriots carry on, and on — fueled, presumably, by a love of the game and a conviction that they’re still better than almost everyone else. Which may well be true. Ronaldo talked about playing for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers at aged 38 last year. Ronaldinho’s still going at 35, though after all his partying, you’ve got to figure his athletic age is closer to 50. Sócrates turned out for English minnows Garforth Town in 2004, aged 50.

More recently, Rivaldo, at a sprightly 43, started on Tuesday for Brazilian side Mogi Mirim — a Sao-Paulo-based club with the magnificent nickname “Big Toad.” It was a desperation move for a team that hadn’t won in 11 games, though it’s not as if the coach could have stopped him, since Rivaldo is a.) the club president and b.) frickin’ Rivaldo.

Last year he put the club up for sale on Instagram. Rivaldo is old, yes, but still all kinds of awesome.

There’s something about the impish, carefree joy of Brazilian teams not managed by Luiz Felipe Scolari that evokes a sense of eternal youth. Sadly, even the greats must succumb to the inevitability of the aging process, and Rivaldo and Roberto Carlos are now so old that they use the word millennial.

Yet they and their compatriots carry on, and on — fueled, presumably, by a love of the game and a conviction that they’re still better than almost everyone else. Which may well be true. Ronaldo talked about playing for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers at aged 38 last year. Ronaldinho’s still going at 35, though after all his partying, you’ve got to figure his athletic age is closer to 50. Sócrates turned out for English minnows Garforth Town in 2004, aged 50.

More recently, Rivaldo, at a sprightly 43, started on Tuesday for Brazilian side Mogi Mirim — a Sao-Paulo-based club with the magnificent nickname “Big Toad.” It was a desperation move for a team that hadn’t won in 11 games, though it’s not as if the coach could have stopped him, since Rivaldo is a.) the club president and b.) frickin’ Rivaldo.

Last year he put the club up for sale on Instagram. Rivaldo is old, yes, but still all kinds of awesome.

RONALDINHO Tak Jadi Ke Turki Atau Angola, Pilih Fluminense

Bisnis.com, JAKARTA - Salah satu legenda Brasil, Ronaldinho de Assis Moreira, akhirnya berlabuh di klub negara asalnya, Fluminense. Pemain berusia 35 tahun itu dikontrak hingga akhir tahun depan.

Sebelumnya Ronaldinho dikaitkan dengan klub Turki Antalyaspor dan klub Angola Kabuscorp plus liga Amerika Serikat Major League Soccer (MLS) sejak terakhir bermain untuk klub Liga Meksiko Queretaro musim lalu.

Namun akhirnya pemain kelahiran Porto Alegre, Brasil, itu lebih memilih pulang ke kampung halamannya dan bermain untuk Fluminense.

Fluminense mengumumkan telah tercapainya kesepakatan dengan sang pemain. Klub yang berbasis di Rio de Janeiro itu berharap Ronaldinho dapat membantu untuk meraih juara Brasileirao yang terakhir diraih pada 2012.

“Itu salah satu yang memotivasi saya untuk kembali ke Brasil, memenangi gelar yang belum pernah saya dapatkan, dan juga karena klub ini memiliki para pemain hebat,” kata gelandang serang itu.

Ronaldinho memang pernah main untuk klub-klub Brasil Gremio, Flamengo, dan Atletico Mineiro.  Bersama Mineiro dia memenangi Copa Libertadores 2013 dan Recopa Sudamericana 2014, namun belum pernah satu kali pun dia mendapatkan titel juara kompetisi reguler domestik Serie A Brasileirao.

Selain memperkuat tiga klub kondang Brasil itu, yang semuanya pernah menjadi juara Copa Libertadores, turnamen antarklub negara Konfederasi Sepak Bola Amerika Selatan (Conmebol), Ronaldinho juga sempat bermain di Eropa untuk Barcelona, AC Milan, dan Paris Saint-Germain.

Untuk Timnas Brasil, Ronaldinho bermain sejak 1999 dalam 97 pertandingan dan mengontribusi 33 gol. Dia menjadi bagian penting ketika Brasil menjadi juara Piala Dunia 2002 di Jepang dan Korea Selatan, juara Copa America 1999 di Paraguay, dan juara Piala Konfederasi 2006 di Jerman.

Salah satu kontribusi spektakuler Ronaldinho di Piala Dunia 2002 terjadi pada perempat final saat mencetak gol kemenangan Brasil 2-1 atas Inggris di mana dia melepas tendangan bebas dari jarak 35 meter, menusuk sudut kanan atas gawang Inggris yang dikawal kiper David Seaman.

Ronaldinho confirma su llegada a Fluminense

Ronaldinho Gaúcho, de 35 años y campeón mundial con Brasil en 2002, anunció que llegó a un acuerdo con Fluminense para jugar allí hasta finales de 2016.

"R10 en el FLU", escribió el exdelantero de clubes como el Barcelona, el París Saint Germain y el Milan en su cuenta en Twitter al pronunciarse sobre una transferencia de la que se especulaba desde hacía días pero que ninguna de las partes había confirmado hasta ahora.

Según versiones de prensa, el elegido mejor futbolista del mundo en 2004 y 2005 aceptó el salario propuesto por el Fluminense de 600.000 reales mensuales (unos 200.000 dólares anuales), que puede ser incrementado en 200.000 reales (66.667 dólares) por mes dependiendo del éxito en campañas publicitarias y en la venta de camisetas.

El acuerdo permite que Ronaldinho Gaúcho regrese a Brasil tras su paso por el Querétaro mexicano, su último club y del que se despidió en junio tras algunas polémicas y sin brillar, pese a que fue subcampeón de la última Liga de México.

Igualmente, permite que el campeón mundial regrese a Río de Janeiro, en donde defendió al Flamengo hace cuatro años y tiene su principal residencia.

Antes de llegar a un acuerdo con el Fluminense, el atacante negoció con clubes de Turquía, Catar, Arabia Saudí, Estados Unidos y Brasil, incluyendo el Vasco de Gama, otro de los equipos grandes de Río de Janeiro.

Ronaldinho Gaúcho surgió como profesional en el Gremio, en el que permaneció hasta 2001, cuando se fue al París Saint Germain.

Tras su auge en el Barcelona, con el que conquistó dos campeonatos españoles y una Liga de los Campeones de Europa, pasó al Milan antes de regresar a Brasil, precisamente al Flamengo, en 2011.

Antes del Querétaro fue jugador del Atlético Mineiro, con el que se coronó campeón de la Copa Libertadores en 2013.

En el Fluminense tendrá que disputar espacio con el atacante Fred, el goleador de la selección brasileña que conquistó la Copa Confederaciones en 2013 y máximo ídolo del club tricolor.

Valdes, Ronaldinho and Eto'o together again at Antalyaspor?

The former Barcelona players could all end up playing for the Turkish side when the season kicks off

Former Barcelona players Victor Valdes, Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o could all be teammates again soon, as they were at FC Barcelona between the 2003-04 season and the 2007-08 season. 

Turkish side Antalyaspor, who are in the Superliga, are building a squad of real luxury and have already signed Eto'o, with a deal for Ronaldinho almost complete. Now, according to AS, they want Valdes as well, whose future at Manchester United is in doubt, even if David de Gea leaves.

Eto's has signed a three year deal with the club, while Ronaldinho is studying the offer, with a definitive answer from the Brazilian expected in the coming days. 

If Ronaldinho and Valdes do sign, three pieces of Frank Rijkaard's successful Barça side, which won the club's second Champions League, will be reunited seven years later. 

However, luring Valdes will not be easy: "On Saturday we will negotiate with Valdes' agent. It will be tricky because he has a year left on his contract at Manchester United, but we are optimistic," said Metin Korkmaz, an Antalyaspor representive. 

"Eto'o has spoken with him four times now and it seems like those talks may have influenced Valdes' decision."

Ronaldinho to leave Queretaro

The Brazilian has spent just one season in Mexico but is set to depart as the club bid to acquire players at the peak of their powers

Queretaro coach Victor Manuel Vucetich revealed the Mexican team is planning to offload Brazilian icon Ronaldinho.

Ronaldinho arrived in Mexico amid much fanfare in September but the 34-year-old has endured a turbulent season, with the star recruit failing to cement a starting berth as Queretaro lost Liga MX's Clausura final to Santos Laguna..

"It will depend on various factors and things, but the idea is that he [Ronaldinho] no longer participates for us," Vucetich told reporters Tuesday.

"Marketing-wise it was an enormous success, he's got great quality, but we need players that contribute in all aspects. Mexican soccer needs people that are on the up, not on the slide, and that is very important for the league."

Ronaldinho has scored eight goals in 25 appearances since arriving from Atletico Mineiro in 2014.

Ronaldinho & Queretaro humiliated in Liga MX final by four-goal Orozco

The 27-year-old stole the show from the former Brazil and Barcelona star as his side ran out 5-0 winners in Thursday's game

A spectacular four-goal display by Javier Orozco helped to condemn Ronaldinho ’s Queretaro side to a humiliating 5-0 defeat against Santos Laguna in the Liga MX final first leg on Thursday.

With Ronaldinho left on the bench, Queretaro quickly found themselves 3-0 down as Orozco helped himself to a first-half hat-trick. And while the Brazilian was introduced into the game at half-time in place of Jaime Gomez, he was largely ineffective and carried a frustrating demeanour throughout the second half.

Orozco netted another goal on 63 minutes before Diego Gonzalez completed Queretaro’s misery 10 minutes from time, leaving Ronaldinho's side with a mountain to climb in Sunday's return leg.

The former Barcelona and AC Milan star, now 35, joined the Albiazules in September as a free agent after Brazilian outfit Atletico Mineiro cancelled his contract by mutual consent. He has netted eight times in 28 matches in Mexico but has found his playing time limited in recent weeks, with three of his last six appearances coming as a substitute.

He hit the headlines recently when reacting angrily to being replaced in the semi-final first leg fixture with Pachuca, which Queretaro lost 2-0 before bouncing back with a victory by the same scoreline in the second leg.

Ronaldinho has agreed to join Antalyaspor - president

The club chief, Gultekin Gencer, says the club and the player have agreed personal terms and the deal will be official in the coming days

Ronaldinho has reached an agreement to join Antalyaspor, the Turkish side's president has revealed.

The Brazil legend rescinded his contract with Mexican side Queretaro and had been linked to a move to Turkey.

The newly-promoted club are set to complete the signing of Samuel Eto'o as well as the former Barcelona attacker, and president Gultekin Gencer says there will be another big transfer coming soon.

"We reached an agreement with Ronaldinho," he told TRT Spor. "I think within two days it'll be made official. 

"Besides Eto'o and Ronaldinho, we will make another big-name signing.

"When it's done, we'll set the world on fire!"

The attacker then appeared in an Instagram video, telling fans: "Hi to everyone. I will be in Turkey with you soon."

Ronaldinho joins Fluminense

The Brazil legend was close to joining Turkish side Antalyaspor but has decided to return to his homeland, confirming the move on his Twitter account

Ronaldinho has signed for Rio De Janeiro outfit Fluminense.

The former Barcelona star moved to Mexican side Queretaro in September but rescinded his contract last month and has been a free agent ever since.

He had appeared close to joining big-spending Turkish side Antalyaspor, who have already signed Samuel Eto'o and hope to bring in Victor Valdes from Manchester United, but has now elected to move back to Brazil.


The news will come as a blow to Antalyaspor president Gultekin Gencer, who had said a deal with Ronaldinho was close at the end of June.

"We reached an agreement with Ronaldinho," he had said. "I think within two days it'll be made official."

But Fluminense, fierce rivals of Flamengo, one of Ronaldinho's former clubs, will be the fourth Brazilian side Ronaldinho has represented during his illustrious career.

After making his name in Europe, the forward moved back to South America with Flamengo in 2011, before moving on to Atletico Mineiro.

He won the Copa Libertadores in his two-year spell in Minas Gerais, adding to the two Primera Division titles and the Champions League crown he won with Barcelona, and the 2010-11 Serie A title with AC Milan.

Ronaldinho

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Ronaldinho Gaucho" redirects here. For the comic strip based on him, see Ronaldinho Gaucho (comic strip). For other uses, see Ronaldinho (disambiguation).

Not to be confused with Ronaldo.

Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho in January 2013
Personal information
Full name	Ronaldo de Assis Moreira
Date of birth	21 March 1980 (age 35)
Place of birth	Porto Alegre, Brazil
Height	1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Playing position	Attacking midfielder / Forward
Youth career
1987–1998	Grêmio
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1998–2001	Grêmio	52	(21)
2001–2003	Paris Saint-Germain	55	(17)
2003–2008	Barcelona	145	(70)
2008–2011	Milan	76	(20)
2011–2012	Flamengo	33	(15)
2012–2014	Atlético Mineiro	47	(17)
2014–2015	Querétaro	23	(8)
National team‡
1996	Brazil U17	6	(2)
1999	Brazil U20	5	(3)
1999–2005	Brazil U23	27	(18)
1999–	Brazil	97	(33)
Honours[show]
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 27 May 2015. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23 April 2013

Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (born 21 March 1980), commonly known as Ronaldinho (Brazilian Portuguese: [ʁonawˈdʒĩɲu]) orRonaldinho Gaúcho,^[2] is a Brazilian footballer who is currently a free agent having most recently played for Mexican clubQuerétaro. His main playing position is as an attacking midfielder or forward. He won the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 2004 and 2005. Renowned for his technique, tricks, dribbling, overhead kicks, no-look passes and free kicks, Ronaldinho is regarded to be one of the best players of his generation.^[3][4]

"Ronaldinho", the diminutive and term of endearment for "Ronaldo", is accompanied in Brazilian usage by the nickname "Gaúcho" (since he hails from southern Brazil), in order to distinguish him from fellow footballer and countryman Ronaldo, who was known as "Ronaldinho" in Brazil beforehand. Ronaldo simply went by his first name upon his move to Europe, thereby allowing Ronaldinho to drop the "Gaúcho" and go by the name Ronaldinho abroad.

Ronaldinho has played 97 matches and scored 33 goals for the Brazil national football team. He was an integral part of the2002 FIFA World Cup winning team in Korea/Japan, starring alongside Ronaldo and Rivaldo in an attacking trio, and was named in the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team.

At club level, Ronaldinho played first for the Brazilian club Grêmio before spending the bulk of his career with European clubsParis Saint-Germain, FC Barcelona, and Milan. He then returned to Brazil to play for Flamengo and Atlético Mineiro before moving to Mexico to play for Querétaro. With Barcelona, he won La Liga twice, the UEFA Champions League in 2006, and accumulated numerous individual awards, including the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005 and the Ballon d'Or in 2005. Ronaldinho was named in the FIFA 100, a list of the world's greatest living players compiled by Pelé, and to the FIFPro World XI from 2005–2007.

Contents

  [hide] 

• 1 Early and personal life
• 2 Club career
  • 2.1 Grêmio
  • 2.2 Paris Saint-Germain
  • 2.3 Barcelona
  • 2.4 Milan
  • 2.5 Flamengo
  • 2.6 Atlético Mineiro
  • 2.7 Querétaro
• 3 International career
  • 3.1 Youth teams
  • 3.2 Early success
  • 3.3 2002 World Cup glory
  • 3.4 2005 Confederations Cup title
  • 3.5 2006 World Cup disappointment
  • 3.6 2008 Olympic medal
  • 3.7 2010 and 2014 World Cup absence
• 4 Style of play
• 5 Outside football
• 6 Career statistics
  • 6.1 Club
  • 6.2 International
• 7 Honours
  • 7.1 Club
  • 7.2 International
  • 7.3 Individual
  • 7.4 Other
• 8 References
• 9 External links

Early and personal life

Ronaldinho was born in the city of Porto Alegre, the state capital of Rio Grande do Sul. His mother, Dona Miguelina Elói Assis dos Santos (daughter of Enviro Assis),^[5] is a former salesperson who studied to become a nurse. His father, João de Assis Moreira, was a shipyard worker and footballer for local club Esporte Clube Cruzeiro (not to be confused with Cruzeiro).^[6] He suffered a fatal heart attack in the family swimming pool when Ronaldinho was eight. After Ronaldinho's older 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. Roberto's career was ultimately cut short by injury. Today, Roberto acts as Ronaldinho's manager, while his sister Deisi works as his press coordinator.^[7][8]

Ronaldinho's football skills began to blossom at the age of 8, and he was first given the nickname Ronaldinho because he was often the youngest and the smallest player in youth club matches.^[7] He developed an interest in futsal and beach football, which later expanded to organized football. His first brush with the media came at the age of thirteen, when he scored all 23 goals in a 23–0 victory against a local team.^[9] 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.^[10][11]

Ronaldinho became a father for the first time on 25 February 2005, after Brazilian dancer Janaína Mendes gave birth to their son, who was named João after Ronaldinho's late father.^[12]

Club career

Grêmio

I've worked with some great players in my time and all at a very interesting period in their careers, nineteen to twenty years old. But, with due respect to the others, Ronaldinho was a cut above the rest.

“

”

— Grêmio coach Celso Roth.^[13]

Ronaldinho's career began with the Grêmio youth squad. He made his senior side debut during the 1998 Copa Libertadores.^[14] 1999 saw the emergence of the eighteen-year-old Ronaldinho, with twenty-three goals in forty-eight 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.^[15] 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.^[15] Ronaldinho achieved further success with Grêmio, winning the inaugural Copa Sul-Minas.^[15]

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.^[16] 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.^[17]

Paris Saint-Germain

In 2001, Ronaldinho signed a five-year contract with French side Paris Saint-Germain in a €5 million transfer.^[18] 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.^[19]

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.^[20] Ronaldinho spent the majority of the 2001 portion of the 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 10 minutes prior.^[21] 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, Ronaldinho recorded a double in PSG's 3–1 victory against relegation strugglers Troyes.^[22] He scored his final league goal of the season in the club's 2–0 win over Metz on 27 April.^[23]

Ronaldinho was also influential in the 2001–02 edition of the Coupe de la Ligue, helping Paris Saint-Germain 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 Parisiannightlife rather than football, and complained that his holidays in Brazil never ended at the scheduled times.^[14]

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. Though his performances in his sophomore 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 Paris Saint-Germain'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 pastgoalkeeper Vedran Runje. In the return match, he again scored in Paris Saint-Germain's 3–0 victory at the Stade Vélodrome, running half the length of the field before flicking the ball over the goalkeeper.^[24]

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 Paris Saint-Germain 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, 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 disappointing 11th-place position. Following the season, Ronaldinho declared he wanted to leave the club after the capital club failed to qualify for any European competition.^[25]

Barcelona

Ronaldinho with Frank Rijkaard atNASA's Johnson Space Center in 2006

Originally, FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta had promised to bring David 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 reported €30 million.^[26][27]

2003-04 season

Ronaldinho made his team debut in a friendly against Milan at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C., scoring one goal in a 2–0 victory. He scored his first goal in the La Liga on 3 September 2003 against Sevilla.^[28] After receiving the ball from his goalkeeper inside his own half, Ronaldinho ran through midfield and dribbled past two Sevilla players before striking the ball from 30 yards which hammered off the underside of the crossbar and back up into the roof of the net.^[28] Ronaldinho suffered from injury during the first half of the campaign,^[29] and Barcelona slumped to the 12th position in the league standings midway through the season. Ronaldinho returned from injury and scored 15 goals in La Liga, helping the team finish second in the league.^[30][31]

2004-05 season

Ronaldinho won his first league title in 2004–05, and was named FIFA World Player of the Year on 20 December 2004.^[32] Ronaldinho's fame was growing with his entertaining and productive play in both the La Liga and the UEFA Champions League. On 8 March 2005 Barcelona were eliminated from the latter competition by Chelsea in the first knockout round, losing 5-4 over two legs.^[33] Ronaldinho scored both goals in the 4–2 second leg loss in London, the second a spectacular strike where he feinted to shoot before striking the ball with no back-lift past Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech from 20 yards out.^[33]

With his contract expiring in 2008, Ronaldinho was offered an extension until 2014 that would have net him £85 million over nine years,^[34] but he turned it down. In September 2005, he signed a two-year extension that contained a minimum-fee release clause that allowed him to leave should a club make an offer to Barcelona of at least £85 million for him.^[35]

2005-06 season

Ronaldinho taking a corner againstCelta Vigo at the Camp Nou in 2005

By the end of the year 2005, Ronaldinho had started to accumulate a host of personal awards. He won the inaugural FIFPro World Player of the Year in September 2005, in addition to being included in the 2005 FIFPro World XI, and being named the 2005 European Footballer of the Year. Also that year, Ronaldinho was voted the FIFA World Player of the Year for the second consecutive year.^[32] He became only the third player to win the award more than once, after three time winners Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane.^[32] His domination as the world's best footballer was undisputed as he also won the prestigious Ballon d'Or for the only time in his career.^[36]

On 19 November, Ronaldinho scored twice as Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 3–0 on the road in the first leg of El Clásico. After he sealed the match with his second goal, Madrid fans paid homage to his performance with a standing ovation, so rare a tribute only Diego Maradona had ever been granted previously as a Barcelona player at the Santiago Bernabéu.^[37] Ronaldinho stated; "I will never forget this because it is very rare for any footballer to be applauded in this way by the opposition fans."^[37]

He transmits a lot of joy and pleasure playing the game, and he has individual skills that are of such a high level that everybody in the world adores him.

“

”

—Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard on Ronaldinho during the 2005-06 season.^[38]

The season is considered one of the best in Ronaldinho's career as he was an instrumental part of Barcelona's first Champions League title in 14 years. After winning their group convincingly, Barcelona faced Chelsea in the round of 16 for a rematch of the previous year.^[39] Ronaldinho scored a decisive goal in the second leg, going past three Chelsea defenders on the edge of the penalty area before beating the goalkeeper, sealing Barcelona's qualification to the next round.^[39] He also contributed one goal in Barcelona's elimination of Benfica in the quarterfinals with a 2–0 home victory. After a 1–0 semifinal aggregate win over Milan, in which Ronaldinho assisted the series' only goal by Ludovic Giuly, Barcelona progressed to theChampions League final, which they won on 17 May 2006 with a 2–1 defeat of Arsenal.^[40] Two weeks earlier, Barcelona had clinched their second straight La Liga title with a 1–0 win over Celta Vigo, giving Ronaldinho his first career double.^[41]

He finished the season with a career-best 26 goals, including 7 in the Champions League, and was chosen for the UEFA Team of the Year for the third consecutive time and was named the 2005–06 UEFA Club Footballer of the Year.^[30] Ronaldinho was named in the six man shortlist for the 2006 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, and was selected in the FIFA World XI.^[42]

Ronaldinho celebrates scoring with teammates in December 2006

2006-07 season

When you play with him and see what he does with a ball, nothing surprises me any more. One of these days, he will make the ball talk.

“

”

— Barcelona teammate Eiður Guðjohnsen.^[43]

On 25 November 2006, Ronaldinho scored his 50th career league goal againstVillarreal, then later scored a second time with an overhead bicycle kick. He later said to reporters that the latter was a goal he had dreamed of scoring since he was a boy.^[44] He scored once and set up two others in Barcelona's 4–0 Club World Cup win over Mexico's Club América on 14 December, but Barcelona were defeated 1–0 by Brazilian club Internacional in the final.^[45] Ronaldinho was nonetheless the recipient of the Bronze Ball Award for the competition.

The next day, Ronaldinho finished third in the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year, behind World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro andZinedine Zidane.^[46] He was forced to miss a charity match on 13 March due to an injury he had picked up several days earlier in Barcelona's 3–3El Clásico draw with Real Madrid.^[47][48] Although Ronaldinho scored his career-best 21 league goals, the team lost the title to Real with a worse head-to-head record, as both teams finished the season with the same number of points.^[30][49]

2007-08 season

He played his 200th career match for Barcelona in a league match against Osasuna on 3 February 2008. However, his 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.^[50] Having been a model professional and devoted himself to training during his hugely successful first three seasons at Barcelona, Ronaldinho's partying lifestyle and lack of dedication to training saw his physical condition decline, with many at the club believing he was now past his best.^[51] On 19 May 2008, Barcelona club president Laporta stated that Ronaldinho needed a "new challenge", claiming that he needed a new club if he were to revive his career.^[52] Manchester City owner Thaksin Shinawatra confirmed on 6 June that he was interested in acquiring him.^[53]

Ronaldinho and Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi each captained a team of international stars in an anti-racism exhibition match in Venezuela on 28 June, which ended in a 7–7 draw. Ronaldinho finished with a pair of goals and two assists in what would be his last match as a Barcelona player.^[54] In preparation for the 2010 Joan Gamper Trophy, Ronaldinho sent an open letter to the fans and players of Barcelona, stating that his best years had been the five he spent in the Catalan club.^[55] It was a sad moment for him and he later said in an interview that he regretted leaving without playing long enough with Messi.^[56]

Milan

Ronaldinho playing for Milan in 2008

In July 2008, Ronaldinho turned down a £25.5 million offer from Manchester City^[57] to join Italian Serie A giants Milan on a three-year contract thought to be worth around £5.1 million (EUR6.5 million) a year, for €22.05M plus €1.05M bonus each season (€24.15M in 2010).^[58][59][60] With the number 10 already occupied by teammate Clarence Seedorf, he selected 80 as his jersey number.

Ronaldinho playing for Milan in 2010

2008-09 season

Ronaldinho scored his first goal for Milan in a 1–0 derby victory over rival Internazionale on 28 September 2008. His first brace was in a 3–0 win over Sampdoria on 19 October 2008. He scored a 93rd-minute match-winner against Braga in the UEFA Cup group stage on 6 November.^[51]

He finished his first season at Milan with 10 goals from 32 appearances in all competitions. After a good start to the season, Ronaldinho struggled with fitness, and was often played from the bench to end a disappointing first season for Milan.^[51] A perceived lack of dedication in training and a lifestyle of late night partying not befitting of an athlete saw him receive criticism, with Carlo Ancelotti, his coach at Milan in his first season in Italy, commenting, "The decline of Ronaldinho hasn't surprised me. His physical condition has always been very precarious. His talent though has never been in question."^[51]

2009-10 season

His second season did not begin on a high note, although he started nearly every match before finding himself on the bench again. After a while, Ronaldinho rediscovered his form and was arguably Milan's best player of the season. He changed his role from an attacking midfielder to a left winger, a more familiar role.

Ronaldinho against Real Madrid

On 10 January 2010, Ronaldinho scored two goals against Juventus in an away match, sealing a 3–0 victory for the Rossoneri. In the following match against Siena on 17 January 2010, Ronaldinho scored his first hat-trick for Milan when he converted a spot kick, scored with a header from a corner and finished with a wonder goal from 20 yards out.^[61] On 16 February, Ronaldinho played his first match against Manchester United in a Champions League game at the San Siro.^[62] He scored early in the game to give Milan the lead. Milan ended up losing the game 3–2, with a goal from Paul Scholes and two goals from Wayne Rooney.^[62]

Ronaldinho finished the season as the assists leader of Serie A. On a less positive note, Ronaldinho missed three penalties in the 2009–10 season, to add to one botched kick the previous season. Ronaldinho ended the season scoring two goals against Juventus. Luca Antonini opened the scoring and Milan went on to win 3–0. It was Leonardo's last game in charge.^[63]

Flamengo

Ronaldinho celebrates scoring forFlamengo in February 2011

After being heavily linked with a move back to his childhood club Grêmio, Ronaldinho joined Flamengo on 11 January 2011 with a contract ending in 2014.^[64] During the transfer saga, many reports had linked the former World Player of the Year to joining different clubs such asLos Angeles Galaxy, Corinthians, Palmeiras and English FA Premier League side Blackburn Rovers. He was greeted by more than 20,000 fans at his unveiling at his new club on 13 January 2011.^[65]

He scored his first goal for Flamengo in the 3–2 victory against Boavista on 6 February 2011.^[66] On 27 February Ronaldinho converted a second-half free kick for Flamengo to beat Boavista 1–0 and win his first piece of silverware with the team, the Taça Guanabara. Ronaldinho lifted his first trophy with Flamengo after curling in a right-footed shot over the wall in the 71st minute at Engenhão stadium. The goal gave Flamengo its 19th Taça Guanabara title, which earned the Campeonato Carioca title two months later, as the team also won the Taça Rio. On 27 July 2011, Ronaldinho scored a hat-trick in Flamengo's 5–4 away win against rivals Santos, after being 3–0 down inside the first 30 minutes.^[67] On 31 May 2012, after being absent for a few days, he sued Flamengo claiming lack of payment for four months and cancelled his contract with the club.^[68]

Atlético Mineiro

Ronaldinho playing for Atlético Mineiro in the Brazilian Série A in June 2013.

Ronaldinho made a surprise move to Atlético Mineiro on 4 June 2012 in a six-month contract, just four days after leaving Flamengo. He wore number 49 in reference to his mother's birth year since his preferred number 10 was already assigned to Guilherme in the 2012 season.^[69]

He made his debut for Galo on 9 June 2012 playing for 90 minutes in a 1–0 away win against Palmeiras,^[70] and scored his first goal for the club on 23 June 2012 against Náutico, from the penalty spot.^[71] Ronaldinho led Atlético Mineiro to a good 2012 season, in which the club finished 2nd in the 2012 Brasileirão and qualified for the 2013 Copa Libertadores. Ronaldinho won the Brazilian Golden Ball award for his performances in league matches with his new club in 2012.^[72]

The following year Ronaldinho helped Atletico to win Campeonato Mineiro and led his club to its first ever title of the Copa Libertadores. Ronaldinho scored four goals and assisted on seven occasions during Atletico's dramatic title run which included consecutive comebacks from 0-2 first leg defeats in both the semifinals against Argentinian Newell's Old Boys and the finals against Club Olimpia from Paraguay. Both ties were determined in Atletico's favour after a penalty shootout. Even though Ronaldinho had been injured for a bigger part of the second half of the season he was still voted the 2013 South American Footballer of the Year.^[73]

On 9 January 2014 he renewed his contract with the club.^[74] Ronaldinho left Atlético Mineiro in July 2014, after reaching an agreement to cancel his contract with the club by mutual consent.^[75] After becoming a free agent, he was offered contracts from English Conference South club Basingstoke Town and newly formed Indian Super Leaguefranchise Chennai Titans through their co-owner Prashant Agarwal.^[76][77][78]

Querétaro

Ronaldinho signed a two-year contract with Mexican club Querétaro on 5 September 2014.^[79][80] Ronaldinho made his debut for Querétaro in a 1–0 loss to Tigres UANL where he missed a penalty kick.^[81] However, in his next match against C.D. Guadalajara he had a much better game, setting up Camilo Sanvezzo to score as well as scoring himself from a penalty kick in a 4–1 win.^[82] On 30 October 2014 he scored a free kick against Club Atlas during an away match at the Estadio Jalisco.^[83]

On 18 April 2015, Ronaldinho scored twice against Liga MX title-holders Club América in an away game at the Estadio Azteca, in which his team won 4-0.^[84] All of the spectators, mostly consisting of Club América supporters, gave a standing ovation to Ronaldinho after his goals and brought him to tears. After the match, Ronaldinho stated in an interview, "It is an emotion to live more. I had an ovation at the Bernabéu and now here. I never imagined this. It is something that makes me like Mexico even more and I feel right at home."^[85][86]

Ronaldinho scored two penalties in consecutive matches, the second giving Querétaro the classification to the Liga MX playoffs.^[87] On 17 May 2015 Querétaro progressed to the semi-finals after defeating Veracruz 4-3 aggregate. In the second match, Ronaldinho scored a free kick with the help of the opponent's goalkeeper who made contact with the ball.^[88]

International career

Ronaldinho takes a corner kick for Brazil during the 2006 World Cup

Youth teams

Ronaldinho is one of few Brazilian players to have played at every international age level. He was part of the first Brazilian team to win theFIFA U-17 World Championship in 1997, in which his first goal was a penalty against Austria in the first group match, which Brazil won 7–0. Ronaldinho finished with two goals and was awarded the Bronze Ball award as Brazil scored a total of twenty-one goals while only conceding two.

1999 was a busy year for Ronaldinho in terms of international play. First he appeared in the South American Youth Championship, where he scored three goals and helped the U20s to reach the third place. Then he took part in that year's FIFA World Youth Championship, scoring his first goal in Brazil's last group match. In the round of sixteen, he scored two first-half goals in a 4–0 win over Croatia, and finished with three goals as Brazil were eliminated by Uruguay in the quarterfinals.

Early success

On 26 June, three days before the start of the 1999 Copa América, he earned his first cap for Brazil in a 3–0 win over Latvia, and he scored one goal during Brazil's victorious Copa América campaign. One week after the conclusion of the Copa América, he was called up for the 1999 Confederations Cup, in which he scored in every match except the final, including a hat-trick in an 8–2 semifinal rout of Saudi Arabia. Brazil lost 4–3 to Mexico. He won the Golden Ball award for the best player in tournament as well as the Golden Boot award for the tournament top-scorer.

Ronaldinho with Brazilian presidentLula at Wembley Stadium, London

In 2000, Ronaldinho participated in the Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia with Brazil U-23 team. Earlier that year, Ronaldinho led Brazil to win the Pre-Olympic Tournament, scoring nine goals in seven matches. However, in the Olympics, Brazil was eliminated in the quarterfinal by Cameroon, who later won the gold medal. Ronaldinho appeared four times and scored only one goal, which came in the quarterfinal defeat by Cameroon.

2002 World Cup glory

Ronaldinho participated in his first World Cup in 2002, as part of a formidable offensive unit with Ronaldo and Rivaldo, dubbed the "three R's", who were also on the 1999 Copa América winning squad.^[89] The World Cup was held in Korea/Japan, and Ronaldinho appeared in five matches during the tournament and scored two goals, as well as contributing several important assists. His first goal came in the group stage match against China, which Brazil won 4–0.^[90]

The most memorable match in Ronaldinho's World Cup career took place in the quarterfinal against England on 21 June.^[91] With Brazil trailing after Michael Owen's 23-minute strike, Ronaldinho turned the game around. Having received the ball inside his own half, Ronaldinho ran at the England defence and wrong footed star defender Ashley Cole with a trademark step over before passing the ball to Rivaldo on the edge of the penalty area to score the equalising goal just before half-time.^[92] Then, in the 50th minute, Ronaldinho took a free-kick from 40 yards out which curled into the top left corner of the net, completely surprising England's goalkeeper David Seaman, giving Brazil a 2–1 lead.^[91] However, seven minutes later, he was controversially sent-off for a foul on England's defender Danny Mills. Ronaldinho was suspended for the semifinal, but returned to Brazil's starting lineup for the 2–0 victory over Germany in the final as Brazil won the World Cup for the fifth time.^[93]

Ronaldinho against Switzerland'sXavier Margairaz

2005 Confederations Cup title

Ronaldinho's next international tournament was the 2003 Confederations Cup, in which he went scoreless as Brazil were eliminated in the group stage. The following year, he was dropped from Brazil's 2004 Copa América squad, as coach Carlos Alberto Parreira decided to rest his stars and used a largely reserve squad.^[94]

After falling short in 1999 and 2003, Ronaldinho was the captain of Brazil and led his team to its second ever Confederations Cup title in 2005. He converted a penalty kick in a 3-2 semifinal win against host Germany and was named Man of the Match in a 4–1 victory over archrival Argentina in the final on 29 June.^[95] Ronaldinho scored three goals in the tournament and is currently tied with Cuauhtémoc Blanco as the tournament's all-time scorer with nine goals.

2006 World Cup disappointment

Ronaldinho with Brazil in 2006

Ronaldinho started in all five of Brazil's 2006 World Cup finals matches as part of a much-publicized "magic quartet" of offensive players, alongside Adriano, Ronaldo, and Kaká. The all-star Brazilian team was supposed to provide the Joga Bonito style of play, which was highly advertised by Nike before the tournament. However, the foursome finished with only five goals as Brazil disappointed as a whole in the tournament. Ronaldinho turned in his worst collective performance in his international career, going scoreless with only one assist, which was for Gilberto's goal in a 4–1 group stage victory over Japan. He was a non-factor as Brazil was eliminated by France 1–0 to a goal from Thierry Henry in the quarter-finals, in which Brazil had only one shot on goal for the entire match.^[96]

The team was harshly criticized by Brazilian fans and media following their return home. On 3 July, two days after Brazil's elimination, vandals immolated and destroyed a 7.5-meter (23-foot) tall fiberglass and resin statue of Ronaldinho in Chapecó.^[97] The statue had been erected in 2004 to celebrate his first FIFA World Player of the Year award. That same day, Ronaldinho, joined by Adriano, returned to Barcelona and held a party at his home, which was continued into the early morning hours at a nightclub. This aggravated the hard feelings of many Brazilian fans, who believed that they were betrayed by the lack of effort from the squad.^[98]

2008 Olympic medal

On 24 March 2007, he scored twice in a 4–0 win over Chile, which marked his first goal since the 2005 Confederations Cup final and thus ended a scoreless streak that lasted nearly two years.^[99] He was not called up for the 2007 Copa América after asking to be excused from the tournament due to tiredness.^[100]On 18 October, he was controversially benched by Barcelona after he was late returning to Spain following Brazil's 5–0 friendly win over Ecuador. He and several Brazil players celebrated the win by partying through the night at a posh Rio de Janeiro nightclub. Ronaldinho left at 11 am the next morning, allegedly in the trunk of a car in order to avoid the media.^[101]

Ronaldinho at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

On 7 July 2008, Ronaldinho was named in Brazil's 2008 Summer Olympics squad as one of the over-age players.^[102] Barcelona initially blocked the move because of his then-upcoming Champions League commitments with the club, but the decision was later nullified following Ronaldinho's transfer to Milan, who in turn permitted him to make the trip to Beijing.^[103] Ronaldinho captained the team, and he scored his only two goals in a 5–0 victory over New Zealand before Brazil were beaten by Argentina in the semifinal. Brazil finished with the bronze medal after defeatingBelgium 3–0 in the bronze medal match.^[104]

2010 and 2014 World Cup absence

Despite having returned to good form and being named as a member of the 30-man provisional squad that was submitted to FIFA on 11 May 2010,^[105] he was not named in Coach Dunga's final squad of 23 for the Brazilian squad in South Africa for the 2010 World Cup^[106] despite his deep desire to participate in the competition.^[107] Critics claimed that the exclusion of players such as Ronaldinho, Alexandre Pato, Adriano andRonaldo signaled a move away from the classic Brazilian attacking "Jogo Bonito" style of play.^[108] At the tournament Brazil was eliminated by the Netherlands in the quarter-final.^[109]

In September 2011 he made his return to the national team under coach Mano Menezes in a friendly against Ghana at Fulham F.C.'s Craven Cottage,^[110] playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 win for Brazil. He then had solid performances in back to back friendlies against Argentina in the same month. In October he had a great performance against Mexico in a friendly, scoring a spectacular free kick to equalize after Dani Alves was sent off. Brazil went on to win the match with a goal from Marcelo.

His good form continued in 2013, and in January he was unexpectedly called up by coach Luiz Felipe Scolari^[111] for a friendly against England played on 6 February at Wembleyas part of the English FA's 150th anniversary.^[112] Ronaldinho started in what was his 100th cap (including non-official matches), and had a chance to score from the penalty kick, but his shot was saved by Joe Hart. Brazil lost the match 1-2.^[113] He was again called up for the Seleção, being named captain of the national team for an international friendly with Chile on 24 April 2013.^[114] However, Ronaldinho was not selected for the national team for the 2013 Confederations Cup and he was also omitted from Scolari's 2014 FIFA World Cup squad.^[115]

Style of play

Barcelona 2005-06 season home shirt. Ronaldinho wore the number 10 for much of his club and international career.

Ronaldinho is regarded as being one of the greatest and most skilful players of his generation.^[116][117] Due to his ability to score and create goals, he is capable of playing in several offensive positions, on either wing or in a central position.^[118][119] Throughout his career, he has been deployed as a forward, a winger, although he usually plays as a classic number 10 in an attacking midfield role.^[119][120] Despite primarily being a creative player, he is an accurate finisher with either foot, both from inside and outside the penalty area, and is also a free-kick and penalty kickspecialist.^[119][121] Throughout his career, Ronaldinho has been praised in particular for his technical skills and creativity; due to his pace, acceleration, agility, balance, ball control, and dribbling ability, he is capable of beating players when undertaking individual runs, often using feintsin one on one situations.^{[119][122][123]} Among his repertoire of moves, Ronaldinho is one of the best exponents of the "Elastico", a move he learned by watching videos of one of his idols, the 1970s Brazilian star Rivelino.^[124][125]

ESPN has described Ronaldinho 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" and a "fast, brash, skilful, tricky, an uninhibited playmaker" who provides "a mix of goals, assists, skills and a large repertoire of crafty moves."^[126] The former Portugal midfield playmaker, Rui Costa, has said of his vision and passing ability: "There are not many players who can offer goalscoring passes like he can. He is just marvellous. He is a rare case of an assist man who can provide the ball from anywhere."^[127]

Outside football

Ronaldinho has had endorsements with many companies, including Nike, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, EA Sports, Gatorade and Danone.^[38][128] One of the world's highest paid players, in 2006 he earned over $19 million from endorsements.^[129] Having endorsed Pepsi for much of his career and appeared in commercials with David Beckham, Thierry Henry andLionel Messi, Ronaldinho signed a deal with Coca-Cola in 2011, however this was terminated in July 2012 after he was caught sipping a Pepsi in a news conference.^[130]

Ronaldinho features in EA Sports' FIFA video game series, appearing in the cover of FIFA Football 2004, FIFA 06, FIFA 07, FIFA 08 and FIFA 09.^[128] At the beginning of his career Ronaldinho signed a lucrative 10-year deal with American sportswear company Nike.^[38] He has appeared in Nike commercials, including the 2002 "Secret Tournament" commercial (branded "Scopion KO").^[131] His 2005 Nike advertisement, where he is given a new pair of boots and then proceeds to juggle a football and appears to repeatedly volley it against the crossbar of a goal and recover it without the ball touching the ground, went viral on YouTube, becoming the site's first video to reach one million views.^[132]

A wax sculpture of Ronaldinho was unveiled at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong in December 2007.^[133] Ronaldinho has had an official role with UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, since February 2006.^[134] In 2011, he was recruited by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS to promote awareness among young people of the disease and how to avoid it.^[135]

Career statistics

Club

As of 20 April 2015.^[136]

Club	Season	League			Cup			Continental			Other[2]			Total
		Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists
Grêmio	1998	14	1	0	2	0	0	15	3	2	17	4	–	48	8	2
	1999	17	6	0	3	0	0	4	2	–	24	15	–	48	23	0
	2000	21	14	0	6	6	0	–	–	–	22	21	–	49	41	0
	Total	52	21	0	11	6	0	19	5	2	63	40	–	145	72	2
Paris Saint-Germain	2001–02	28	9	8	6	2	0	14	2	2	–	–	–	48	13	10
	2002–03	27	8	6	7	3	0	4	1	2	–	–	–	38	12	8
	Total	55	17	14	13	5	0	18	3	4	–	–	–	86	25	18
Barcelona	2003–04	32	15	11	6	3	1	7	4	2	–	–	–	45	22	14
	2004–05	35	9	10	0	0	0	7	4	4	–	–	–	42	13	14
	2005–06	29	17	15	2	1	1	12	7	6	2	1	1	45	26	23
	2006–07	32	21	8	4	0	1	11	3	3	2	0	2	49	24	14
	2007–08	17	8	2	1	0	0	8	1	2	–	–	–	26	9	4
	Total	145	70	46	13	4	3	45	19	17	4	1	3	207	94	69
Milan	2008–09	29	8	6	1	0	1	6	2	1	–	–	–	36	10	8
	2009–10	36	12	18	0	0	0	7	3	1	–	–	–	43	15	19
	2010–11	11	0	3	0	0	0	5	1	1	–	–	–	16	1	4
	Total	76	19	26	1	0	1	18	6	3	–	–	–	95	26	31
Flamengo	2011	31	14	7	5	1	1	3	2	0	13	4	–	52	21	8
	2012	2	1	0	0	0	0	8	2	6	9	4	–	19	7	6
	Total	33	15	7	5	1	1	11	4	6	22	8	–	71	28	14
Atlético Mineiro	2012	31	9	15	0	0	0	–	–	–	–	–	–	31	9	15
	2013	14	8	2	2	0	2	14	6	7	6	4	–	36	18	11
	2014	2	0	0	–	–	–	7	1	2	4	0	–	13	1	2
	Total	47	17	17	2	0	2	21	7	9	10	4	–	80	28	28
Querétaro	2014–15	18	5	2	3	0	0	–	–	–	–	–	–	21	5	2
	Total	18	5	2	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	21	5	2
Career total		426	165	113	49	16	7	132	44	43	99	53	3	706	279	166

^ Other includes Brazilian state competitions and national super cups.

International

As of 04 October 2014^[137]

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Brazil	1999	13	7
	2000	5	1
	2001	4	1
	2002	10	4
	2003	8	2
	2004	10	6
	2005	12	6
	2006	9	0
	2007	11	5
	2008	2	0
	2009	3	0
	2010	1	0
	2011	5	1
	2012	1	0
	2013	3	0
	Total	97	33

Honours

Club Grêmio South Cup (1): 1999 Campeonato Gaúcho (1): 1999 Paris Saint-Germain UEFA Intertoto Cup (1): 2001 Barcelona La Liga (2): 2004–05, 2005–06 Supercopa de España (2): 2005, 2006 UEFA Champions League (1): 2005–06 FIFA Club World Cup Runner-up (1): 2006 Milan Serie A (1): 2010–11 Flamengo Campeonato Carioca (1): 2011 Atlético Mineiro Campeonato Mineiro (1): 2013 Copa Libertadores (1): 2013 Recopa Sudamericana (1): 2014 International Brazil Copa América (1): 1999 FIFA World Cup (1): 2002 FIFA Confederations Cup (1): 2005 Superclásico de las Américas (1): 2011 Brazil U23 CONMEBOL Men Pre-Olympic Tournament (1): 1999 Olympic Bronze Medal (1): 2008 Brazil U17 South American Under-17 Football Championship (1): 1997 FIFA U-17 World Championship (1): 1997

Individual FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Ball: 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Shoe: 1999 Rio Grande do Sul State Championship Top Scorer: 1999 CONMEBOL Men Pre-Olympic Tournament Top Scorer: 2000 FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2002 FIFA 100 La Liga Ibero-American Player of the Year (1): 2004 FIFA Confederations Cup Bronze Ball: 2005 World Soccer Magazine World Player of The Year (2): 2004, 2005 FIFA World Player of the Year (2): 2004, 2005 Ballon d'Or (1): 2005 Onze d'Or (1): 2005 UEFA Club Best Forward (1): 2004–05 UEFA Club Footballer of the Year (1): 2005–06 UEFA Team of the Year (3): 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06 ESM Team of the Year (3): 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06 Don Balón Award (2): 2003–04, 2005–06 FIFPro World Player of the Year (1): 2005 FIFPro World XI (3): 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07 Golden Foot (1): 2009 Bola de Ouro (1): 2012 South American Footballer of the Year (1): 2013

Other

In 2012, two Brazilian entomologists named a new species of bee, from Brazil, Eulaema quadragintanovem, stating that "the specific epithet honors the Brazilian soccer player Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, famous worldwide as 'Ronaldinho' and in Brazil as ‘Ronaldinho Gaúcho’. 'Quadraginta novem' means forty-nine, the number of Ronaldinho's T-shirt at Clube Atlético Mineiro (CAM), his former team in Brazil. Ronaldinho chose the number 49 as homage to his mother, born in 1949."^[138]