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Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (born 21 March 1980), commonly known as Ronaldinho Gaúcho () or simply Ronaldinho, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or left winger. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he won two FIFA World Player of the Year awards and a Ballon d'Or. He is the only player ever to have won a World Cup, a Copa América, a Confederations Cup, a Champions League, a Copa Libertadores and a Ballon d'Or. A global cultural icon of the sport, Ronaldinho was renowned for his dribbling abilities, free-kick accuracy, his use of tricks, feints, no-look passes, and overhead kicks, as well as his ability to score and create goals. During his career he was one of the most valuable footballers in the world. He is also known by the nickname " O Bruxo" ('The Wizard').
Ronaldinho made his career debut for Grêmio, in 1998. Aged 20, he moved to Paris Saint-Germain in France, where he won the UEFA Intertoto Cup, before signing for FC Barcelona in 2003. In his second season with Barcelona, he won his first FIFA World Player of the Year award as Barcelona won the 2004–05 La Liga title. The season that followed is considered one of the best in his career as he was integral in Barcelona winning the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League, their first in fourteen years, and another La Liga title, giving Ronaldinho his first career double, receiving the 2005 Ballon d'Or, and his second FIFA World Player of the Year in the process. After scoring two solo goals in the first 2005–06 El Clásico, Ronaldinho became the second Barcelona player, after Diego Maradona in 1983, to receive a standing ovation from Real Madrid fans at the Santiago Bernabéu. Due to these successes, Ronaldinho is widely credited with changing Barcelona's history.
Following a second-place La Liga finish to Real Madrid in the 2006–07 season and an injury-plagued 2007–08 season, Ronaldinho suffered a decline in his performances—due to a decrease in dedication and focus towards football—and departed Barcelona to join AC Milan, where he won the 2010–11 Serie A. He returned to Brazil to play for Flamengo in 2011 and Atlético Mineiro a year later where he won the 2013 Copa Libertadores, before moving to Mexico to play for Querétaro and then back to Brazil to play for Fluminense in 2015. Ronaldinho accumulated numerous other individual awards in his career: he was included in the UEFA Team of the Year and the FIFA World XI three times each, and was named UEFA Club Footballer of the Year for the 2005–06 season and South American Footballer of the Year in 2013; in 2004, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players. In 2009, he was voted World Player of the Decade 2000s, ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
In his international career with Brazil, Ronaldinho earned 97 caps, scored 33 goals, and represented them in two FIFA World Cups. After debuting with the Seleção by winning the 1999 Copa América, he was an integral player in the 2002 FIFA World Cup winning team, positioned alongside Ronaldo and Rivaldo in an attacking trio, and was named in the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team. He captained his team to the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup title and was named man of the match in the final. He also captained the Brazil Olympic team to a bronze medal in men's football at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Ronaldo's football skills began to blossom at the age of eight, and he was first given the nickname Ronaldinho— inho, meaning 'small'—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.
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.
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.
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.
On 1 May 2005, Ronaldinho made the assist for Lionel Messi's first goal for Barcelona, executing a scooped pass over the Albacete defence for Messi to finish. With his contract expiring in 2008, Ronaldinho was offered an extension until 2014 that would have net him £85 million over nine years,Lowe, Sid, "Friends and enemies", World Soccer, August 2005, pp. 18–21 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. (in Serbian)
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 by applauding, so rare a tribute only Diego Maradona had ever been granted previously as a Barcelona player at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. "Real Madrid 0 Barcelona 3: Bernabeu forced to pay homage as Ronaldinho soars above the galacticos" . The Independent. Retrieved 29 November 2013. 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."
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. 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. "Ronaldinho snuffs out Chelsea bid" . CNN. Retrieved 31 May 2014. He also contributed one goal in Barcelona's elimination of Benfica in the quarter-finals with a 2–0 home victory. After a 1–0 semi-final aggregate win over Milan, in which Ronaldinho assisted the series' only goal by Ludovic Giuly, Barcelona progressed to the Champions League Final, which they won on 17 May 2006 with a 2–1 beating of Arsenal. Two weeks earlier, Barcelona had clinched their second-straight La Liga title with a 1–0 win over Celta de Vigo, giving Ronaldinho his first career double.
Throughout the season, Ronaldinho linked up with prolific Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto'o in attack, providing a number of assists to the 34 goal striker; Ronaldinho's pass also put Eto'o through on goal in the Champions League Final from which he was brought down by Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann who was sent off. Ronaldinho finished the season with a career-best 26 goals, including seventeen in La Liga and seven 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. "Ronaldinho" . UEFA. Retrieved 16 May 2014. He was named in the six man shortlist for the 2006 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, and was selected in the FIFA World XI. FIFPro. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
The next day, Ronaldinho finished third in the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year, behind 2006 World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro and Zinedine Zidane. In March 2007, defending champions Barcelona were eliminated from the Champions League at the last 16 stage by Liverpool. Ronaldinho was forced to miss a charity match on 13 March due to an injury he had picked up several days earlier in Barcelona's 3–3 El Clásico draw with Real Madrid. 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. 2006/07 "Spanish Primera Division Table" . ESPN FC. Retrieved 31 May 2014.
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. 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. It was a sad moment for him and he later said in an interview that he regretted leaving without playing long enough with Messi. "Ronaldinho: Neymar destined for the top" . ESPN. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
On 10 January 2010, Ronaldinho scored two goals against Juventus FC in an away match, sealing a 3–0 victory for Milan. In the following match, against Siena on 17 January, Ronaldinho scored his first hat-trick for Milan when he converted a penalty kick, scored with a header from a corner and finished with a strike into the top right corner from 20 yards out. The Estado De São Paulo newspaper declared, "Ronaldinho revives his golden years". On 16 February, Ronaldinho played against Manchester United in the Champions League. He scored early in the game at the San Siro 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. "AC Milan 2–3 Manchester United" . BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
Ronaldinho finished the season as the assists leader of Serie A. On a less positive note, however, he missed three penalties in the domestic season to add to one botched kick the previous season. Ronaldinho ended the Serie A campaign scoring two goals against Juventus; Luca Antonini opened the scoring and Milan went on to win 3–0 in Leonardo's last game in charge.
Ronaldinho scored his first goal for Flamengo in the 3–2 victory against Boavista on 6 February 2011. On 27 February, he 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 FC, after being 3–0 down inside the first 30 minutes. 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.
Ronaldinho made his debut for Galo on 9 June 2012, playing for 90 minutes in a 1–0 away win against Palmeiras, and scored his first goal for the club on 23 June 2012 against Náutico, from the penalty spot. Ronaldinho led Atlético Mineiro to a good 2012 season, in which the club finished second in the 2012 Brasileirão and qualified for the 2013 Copa Libertadores. Ronaldinho won the Bola de Ouro award, selected as the best player in the league.
The following year, Ronaldinho helped Atlético win the Campeonato Mineiro and led the club to its first Copa Libertadores title. Ronaldinho scored four goals and assisted on eight occasions during Atlético's dramatic title run, which included consecutive comebacks from 0–2 first leg defeats in both the semi-finals against Argentine club Newell's Old Boys and the finals against Club Olimpia from Paraguay. Both ties were determined in Atlético's favour after penalty shootouts. Although six years past his best, Ronaldinho's displays saw him voted the 2013 South American Footballer of the Year.
At the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup held in Morocco in December, Atlético lost 3–1 to Raja Casablanca in the semi-final, with Ronaldinho scoring from a free-kick. As the final whistle blew, the Raja Casablanca team rushed to their childhood idol and stripped him down to his underpants in search of souvenirs. He renewed his contract with Atlético in January 2014. After winning the 2014 Recopa Sudamericana, Ronaldinho left the club in July, reaching an agreement to cancel his contract by mutual consent.
On 18 April 2015, Ronaldinho scored twice against Liga MX title-holders América in an away game at the Estadio Azteca, in which his team won 4–0. "Querétaro 4–0 América" . Goal. Retrieved 16 January 2020. All of the spectators, mostly consisting of América supporters, gave a standing ovation to Ronaldinho after his goals had brought him to tears. This was the second time in Ronaldinho's career he had received such an ovation from opposing fans (after Madrid fans had applauded his performance in a Barcelona shirt in 2005), and 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."
Ronaldinho scored two penalties in consecutive matches, the second giving Querétaro the classification to the Liga MX playoffs. 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. Querétaro eventually advanced to the final after beating Pachuca on aggregate 2–2. In the final against Santos Laguna, Querétaro lost the first leg 0–5 and then won the 2nd leg 3–0 but lost 3–5 on aggregate. In June 2015, Ronaldinho, now 35, announced his departure from the club and thanked the Mexican people and fans of Querétaro: "I want to thank all the Mexican nation for all the days that I have lived with people so special, you will be forever in my heart. Thank you very much the Nation Gallos Blancos, which made me very proud to wear this shirt and defend this club."
From September to early October 2017, Ronaldinho joined the Delhi Dragons from Delhi in the Premier Futsal League. He scored 16 goals in eight games. Mumbai Warriors , Chennai Singhams , Bengaluru Royal , Kerala Cobra , Telugu Tigers , Bengaluru Royals ([28] , [29] ) Mumbai Warriors (final), all accessed 20 October 2017.
Ronaldinho appeared at the closing ceremony of the 2018 FIFA World Cup at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on 15 July, performing a few bars of the Russian folk song "Kalinka" (sung by opera singer Aida Garifullina) on an African drum.
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 in nine appearances and helped the U20s to reach third place. "XIX Sudamericano Juvenil 1999 (Argentina)" . Rsssf.com. Retrieved 10 October 2015. Then he took part in the that year's FIFA World Youth Championship in Nigeria, scoring his first goal in Brazil's last group match. "FIFA World Youth Championship Nigeria 1999" . FIFA. Retrieved 10 October 2015. In the round of 16, 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 quarter-finals.
In 2000, Ronaldinho participated in the Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, with the U23 national team. Earlier that year, Ronaldinho led Brazil to win the Pre-Olympic Tournament, scoring nine goals in seven matches. However, in the Olympics, Brazil were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Cameroon, who later won the gold medal. Ronaldinho appeared four times and scored only one goal, which came in the quarter-final defeat by Cameroon.
The most memorable match in Ronaldinho's World Cup career took place in the quarter-final against England on 21 June. 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.Jethro Soutar (2006). "Ronaldinho: Football's Flamboyant Maestro". p. 123. Robson, 2006. 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. "Brazil end England's dream" . BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 May 2014. Ronaldinho's 40 yard free kick goal in quarter-final against England at 2002 FIFA World Cup . YouTube. Retrieved 13 July 2018. Seven minutes later, he was sent off for a foul on England defender Danny Mills. Ronaldinho was suspended for the semi-final, but returned to Brazil's starting lineup for the 2–0 victory over Germany in the final as Brazil won its record fifth World Cup title. "Brazil crowned world champions" . BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
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 semi-final 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. Ronaldinho scored three goals in the tournament and is tied with Mexican forward Cuauhtémoc Blanco as the tournament's all-time top goalscorer with nine goals. "FIFA Confederations Cup 2013" . FIFA. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
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 23-foot (7.5-metre) tall fiberglass and resin statue of Ronaldinho in Chapecó. 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 the city of 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. Displaying a passivity to Brazil's poor showing, the 2006 World Cup is now seen as the turning point in Ronaldinho's career, with his time at the summit of the game almost up. 1970 Brazil World Cup winner Tostão wrote in O Tempo: "Ronaldinho lacks an important characteristic of Diego Maradona and Pelé—aggression. They transformed themselves in adversity. They became possessed, and furious."
On 7 July 2008, Ronaldinho was named in Brazil's 2008 Summer Olympics squad as one of the overage players. 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, China. 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 semi-final. Brazil finished with the bronze medal after defeating Belgium 3–0 in the third-place match. "Ronaldinho leads Brazil to bronze" . BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
In September 2011, Ronaldinho made his return to the national team under coach Mano Menezes in a friendly against Ghana at Fulham's Craven Cottage, 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 performed well against Mexico in a friendly, scoring a free kick to equalize after Dani Alves was sent off. Brazil went on to win the match with a goal from Marcelo.
Ronaldinho's good form continued in 2013, and in January he was unexpectedly called up by coach Luiz Felipe Scolari "England v Brazil: Ronaldinho surprised by recall to Seleçao after year in the international wilderness" . The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 June 2014. for a friendly against England played on 6 February at Wembley Stadium as part of The Football Association (FA)'s 150th anniversary. "Ronaldinho reckons Brazil will ruin England's 150th anniversary celebrations" . Daily Mirror. Retrieved 2 June 2014. 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. "England 2–1 Brazil" . BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 June 2014. 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. However, Ronaldinho was not selected for the national team for the 2013 Confederations Cup and he was also omitted from Scolari's 2014 World Cup finals squad. "Brazil names 23-man World Cup roster; Ronaldinho, Kaka left out" . CBS Sports. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
Despite primarily being a creative player, who was renowned for his passing, vision, and playmaking, Ronaldinho was an accurate finisher with either foot, both from inside and outside the penalty area, as well as being a free-kick and penalty kick specialist. Although he was primarily known for his ability to bend the ball from set pieces, he was also capable of striking the ball with power underneath the wall, and also occasionally used the knuckleball technique, which was popularised by his compatriot Juninho Pernambucano. He is widely regarded as one of the most prolific free kick takers in history, and also influenced his former teammate Messi, who went on to become a free kick specialist himself.
Throughout his career, Ronaldinho was praised by pundits in particular for his technical skills, flair, and creativity, as well as his exceptional first touch. With his pace, acceleration, athleticism, ball control, and dribbling ability, he was capable of beating players during individual runs, often using an array of tricks and feints to get past opponents in one on one situations, including and nutmegs. Physically strong in possession of the ball, Richard Williams writes, "Slender in build, the Brazilian has a strength belying the cartoonish smile." He also incorporated flashy moves such as back-heels, bicycle kicks, and no-look passes into his playstyle. Among his repertoire of moves is the "elastico", a move he learned by watching videos of one of his idols, the 1970s Brazilian star Rivellino."Football's Greatest – Rivelino". Pitch International LLP. 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2014.David Goldblatt (2009). "The Football Book". p. 129. D Kindersley Ltd, Ronaldinho came to be known as one of the best exponents of the feint, and in parts of Africa—especially Nigeria—this move is now called 'The Gaúcho', due to him popularising the use of this particular skill.
In spite of his performances at his peak, a period of dedication and focus which saw him named the FIFA World Player of the Year twice and receive the Ballon d'Or, Ronaldinho was also criticised on occasion in the media for his lack of discipline in training, as well as his hedonistic lifestyle off the pitch, which impacted the overall longevity of his career. Referring to Ronaldinho as "Brazil's childlike genius who never grew up", Tim Vickery writes that it was the sudden death of his father at such a young age that may have seen Ronaldinho shy away from remaining at the top, with the attitude of "life is short and can end unexpectedly—so enjoy it while you can".
Ronaldinho has featured in EA Sports' FIFA video game series, appearing on the cover of FIFA Football 2004, FIFA Street, FIFA 06, FIFA 07, FIFA Street 3, FIFA 08 and FIFA 09. At the beginning of his career Ronaldinho signed a lucrative 10-year deal with sportswear company Nike (wearing Nike Tiempo R10 boots designed for him). He has appeared in Nike commercials, including the 2002 "Secret Tournament" commercial (branded "Scorpion KO") directed by Terry Gilliam. His 2005 Nike advertisement, where he is given a new pair of Football boot 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 video on YouTube, becoming the site's first video to reach one million views., compilation of videos on the site. Retrieved 13 June 2010. A 2010 Nike commercial, Write the Future directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, features Ronaldinho executing a number of Step over, which became a viral video re-enacted and shared millions of times.
A wax sculpture of Ronaldinho was unveiled at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong in December 2007. Ronaldinho has had an official role with UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, since February 2006.Jethro Soutar (2006). "Ronaldinho: Football's Flamboyant Maestro". p. 172. 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. In March 2015, Ronaldinho was the sixth most popular sportsperson on Facebook, behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, Beckham, Neymar and Kaká, with 31 million Facebook fans. Ronaldinho also has over 50 million Instagram followers.
On 2 February 2017, Barcelona announced that Ronaldinho signed a 10-year deal to become an ambassador for the club at institutional events. On 6 July 2018, Ronaldinho announced a partnership with company World Soccer Coin (WSC) to develop a new cryptocurrency, the Ronaldinho Soccer Coin, with WSC claiming that the profits of the coin will be used to football projects such as "Ronaldinho Digital Stadiums".
On 29 October 2020, Ronaldinho released a statement regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and Azerbaijan. He expressed solidarity with Azerbaijani people. In late July 2021, he went to Beirut, Lebanon, to lay a wreath in honor of victims of the port explosion.
In fiction, Ronaldinho features as a character in Rupert Thomson's 2021 novel Barcelona Dreaming.
In 2018, he appeared in the American martial arts film , alongside Alain Moussi and Jean-Claude Van Damme.
It was adapted into an animated television series as Ronaldinho Gaúcho's Team, produced by Italian studio GIG Italy Entertainment, with the coproduction of MSP (Mauricio de Sousa Produções).
In 2014, because of the FIFA World Cup held in Brazil, Ronaldinho Gaúcho's short animated series was acquired by the paid children's channel Gloob, at the same time, the Discovery Kids channel aired the series "Pelezinho in: Planet Soccer". The series "Pelezinho in: Planet Soccer" was also launched, usually passing during Discovery Kids commercials, and Neymar Jr. by Nickelodeon.
In March 2020, he was questioned by police in Paraguay after he was alleged to have used a fake passport to enter the country while coming for a charity event and book promotion, with Ronaldinho and his brother both being held in custody in the country. A lawyer representing Ronaldinho and his brother could not explain why they used fake passports to enter the country; as Brazilian nationals do not require a passport to countries that are members of the Mercosur trade bloc. While in prison he competed in a prison futsal tournament, where his team was victorious. They won 11–2 in the finals, with Ronaldinho scoring 5 goals and assisting the other 6. He attempted to appeal the detention order but was ordered to remain under house arrest with his brother. On 24 August 2020, Ronaldinho and his brother were released from Paraguayan prison after their judge agreed to a plea deal with fines of US$90,000 and US$110,000 for the brothers, respectively.
| + Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | |||
| Grêmio | 1998 | Brasileirão | 6 |
| 1999 | Brasileirão | 22 | |
| 2000 | Brasileirão | 28 | |
| 2001 | Brasileirão | 2 | |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 2001–02 | Ligue 1 | 13 |
| 2002–03 | Ligue 1 | 12 | |
| FC Barcelona | 2003–04 | La Liga | 22 |
| 2004–05 | La Liga | 13 | |
| 2005–06 | La Liga | 26 | |
| 2006–07 | La Liga | 24 | |
| 2007–08 | La Liga | 9 | |
| AC Milan | 2008–09 | Serie A | 10 |
| 2009–10 | Serie A | 15 | |
| 2010–11 | Serie A | 1 | |
| Flamengo | 2011 | Brasileirão | 21 |
| 2012 | Brasileirão | 7 | |
| Atlético Mineiro | 2012 | Brasileirão | 9 |
| 2013 | Brasileirão | 17 | |
| 2014 | Brasileirão | 1 | |
| Querétaro | 2014–15 | Liga MX | 8 |
| Fluminense FC | 2015 | Brasileirão | 0 |
| + Appearances and goals by national team, year and competition | |
| Brazil U17 | 3 |
| Brazil U20 | 2 |
| 6 | |
| Brazil U23 | 1 |
| 14 | |
| 3 | |
| Brazil | 7 |
| 1 | |
| 1 | |
| 4 | |
| 2 | |
| 6 | |
| 6 | |
| 0 | |
| 5 | |
| 0 | |
| 0 | |
| 0 | |
| 1 | |
| 0 | |
| 0 | |
| +International goals by number, cap, date, venue, opponent, score, result and competition ! scope="col" | ! scope="col" Cap ! scope="col" | Date ! scope="col" | Venue ! scope="col" | Opponent ! scope="col" | Score ! scope="col" | Result ! scope="col" | Competition ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | |
Individual
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' in Latin, the number of Ronaldinho's jersey at Atlético Mineiro, his former team in Brazil. Ronaldinho chose the number 49 as an homage to his mother, born in 1949."Nemésio, A.; Ferrari, R.R. 2012: The species of Eulaema ( Eulaema) Lepeletier, 1841 (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossina) from eastern Brazil, with description of Eulaema quadragintanovem sp. n. from the state of Ceará. Zootaxa, 3478: 123–132. Preview
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