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HES A FULHAM FC PLAYER NOW
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{{Infobox Football biography
| playername = Ronaldinho
| image = [[Image:Ronaldinho061115.jpg|200px]]
| fullname = Ronaldo de Assís Moreira
| dateofbirth = {{birth date and age|1980|3|21}}
| cityofbirth = [[Porto Alegre]]
| countryofbirth = [[Brazil]]
| height = {{height|m=1.81}}
| position = [[Midfielder#Attacking midfielder|Attacking midfielder]],[[Striker|Second Striker]], [[Winger]]
| currentclub = [[FC Barcelona]]
| clubnumber = 10
| youthyears = 1997–1998
| youthclubs = [[Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense|Grêmio]]
| years = 1998–2001<br>2001–2003<br>2003–
| clubs = [[Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense|Grêmio]]<br>[[Paris Saint-Germain FC|Paris Saint-Germain]]<br>[[FC Barcelona]]
| caps(goals) = {{0}}35 (14)<br>{{0}}55 (17)<br>145 (70)<ref>[http://soccernet.espn.go.com/players/stats?id=20128&cc=5901 ESPN] (Last updated: 25 June 2007)</ref>
| nationalyears = 1999–
| nationalteam = [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]]
| nationalcaps(goals) = {{0}}80 (32)
| pcupdate = [[June 18]] [[2007]]
| ntupdate = [[March 28]] [[2007]]
}}


ROY HODGSONS BLACK AND WHITE ARMY
'''Ronaldo de Assís Moreira''' (born [[March 21]] [[1980]] in [[Porto Alegre]]), commonly known as '''Ronaldinho''', is a [[association football|football]] player from [[Brazil]], best known for his years at Spanish football club [[FC Barcelona]]. He became a naturalized [[Spain|Spanish]] citizen in January 2007.<ref name="lateinterview">[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/26/sports/soccer/26ronaldinho.html?ref=sports Ronaldinho Becoming the Face of Soccer], Jack Bell, nytimes.com, [[26 March]], [[2007]], accessed [[26 March]], [[2007]].</ref>


HAMMERSMITH H5 YERRRRR
Ronaldinho, meaning "little Ronaldo", is better known in Brazil by the nickname Ronaldinho ''[[Gaúcho]]'', in order to distinguish him from [[Ronaldo]] (already called Ronaldinho in Brazil). However, upon Ronaldo's move to Europe, he began to be known simply as 'Ronaldo', thereby allowing Ronaldinho to drop ''Gaúcho'' and remain simply as 'Ronaldinho'.

Among his many achievements and accolades, Ronaldinho has been awarded the [[FIFA World Player of the Year]] award twice (2004, 2005), as well as the [[European Footballer of the Year]] award and the [[FIFPro#World Player of the Year|FIFPro World Player of the Year]] award twice (2005, 2006).<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/world/2006-04-17-ronaldinho-cover_x.htm
|title=Ronaldinho's juggling act
|publisher=USA Today
|date=2006-04-18
|accessdate=2006-06-13
}}</ref> He has downplayed suggestions that he is the best footballer in the world, telling [[FourFourTwo|''FourFourTwo '' magazine]], "I don't even feel I'm the best at [[FC Barcelona|Barça]]." <ref name="fourfourtwojan2006">{{cite news|title=The Master|url=http://www.fourfourtwo.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Interviews/0,,11442~758106,00.html| publisher=[[FourFourTwo]]|first=Andy|last=Mitten|date=January 2006|pages=72-74}} <!-- Interview currently offline; cached at http://tinyurl.com/f66el --></ref>
Currently, he plays for [[FC Barcelona]] with a contract ending in 2010.<ref>[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-09/01/content_474139.htm Ronaldinho signs new contract with Barcelona] ''China Daily'', September 1, 2005</ref>
<!--Do NOT post any rumors and speculation here or anywhere else in the article, as Wiki is not a sports daily. Any such content will be promptly removed. -->

== Early life ==
Ronaldinho was born in [[Porto Alegre]], a city in the Rio Grande do Sul region of Brazil. Ronaldinho's mother Miguelina is a former salesperson who later studied to become a nurse. His father João was a shipyard worker and footballer for [[Cruzeiro Esporte Clube|Cruzeiro]]. The family moved to a more affluent home in Porto Alegre when Ronaldinho's older brother Roberto signed to play professional football for [[Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense|Grêmio]]. João died when Ronaldinho was eight, after suffering a heart attack while swimming in the family's pool. This house was given to Roberto Assis as a present from Gremio to convince him to stay at the club. At the time, Torino were interested in him. Injuries ended Roberto's career prematurely, and he now manages Ronaldinho. Ronaldinho's sister Deisi works as his press coordinator.<ref>{{cite news
|first=Justin
|last=Webster
|url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1499509,00.html
|title=Homage from Catalonia
|publisher=Guardian
|date=June 5, 2005
|accessdate=2006-05-20
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
|first=Grant
|last=Wahl
|title=One-on-one with Ronaldinho
|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/grant_wahl/06/01/ronaldinho.qa/index.html
|publisher=Sports Illustrated
|date=June 1, 2006
|accessdate=2006-06-14
}}</ref> Ronaldinho's son, named João after his father, was born on [[February 25]], [[2005]]. João's mother is Janaína Nattielle Viana Mendes, a former dancer on the Brazilian television show ''[[:pt:Domingão do Faustão|Domingão do Faustão]]''.<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://esporte.uol.com.br/ultimas/efe/2005/08/24/ult1777u33157.jhtm
|title=Ronaldinho Gaúcho fala sobre seu filho pela primeira vez
|publisher=UOL Esporte
|date=[[2005-08-24]]
|accessdate=2006-05-20
}}</ref>

In his childhood, Ronaldinho's skill in football began to blossom due to his particular interest in [[futsal]] and beach football, which later developed into a fondness for more standardised football. His first brush with the media came after he scored all 23 goals in a 23-0 victory against a local team, at just 13 years of age.<ref name="fourfourtwojan2006"/> His reputation as a footballer was built up through his childhood, particularly since he was identified as a rising star at the [[1997 FIFA U-17 World Championship|Egypt 1997]] [[FIFA U-17 World Championship|under-17 world championship]].<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.fifa.com/en/comp/U17/tournament/0,6288,U17-2005-17,00.html
|title=Egypt 1997: Brazil restore some pride
|publisher=FIFA.com
|accessdate=2006-06-26
}}</ref> He scored two goals in the tournament, both [[penalty kick]]s.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.fifa.com/en/comp/PrevGoalScorers/0,5874,U17-1997-I,00.html
|title=Egypt 1997 goalscorers
|publisher=FIFA.com
|accessdate=2006-06-26
}}</ref>

== Club career ==
=== Grêmio ===

Ronaldinho's career began in the youth team at [[Porto Alegre]] club [[Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense|Grêmio]], under head coach [[Celso Roth]], who only played him due to immense pressure from the Gremio supporters. His first senior appearance came in the 1998 [[Libertadores Cup]],<ref name="worldsoccerjan2005">Radnedge, Keir, "The priceless prince of Barcelona", ''World Soccer'', January 2005, pp. 8-9</ref> and his penchant for goalscoring was quickly displayed, his career soon began generating interest due to his phenomenal ball control and ability to score. This was followed by his introduction into the Brazilian national team in 1999.

Towards the end of his career at Grêmio, in 2001, many clubs from all over the world, particularly [[FA Premier League|Premiership]] teams in [[England]] such as [[Manchester United]], were eager to sign him as an attempt to attain a player who was both a "big name" and was also performing well. Despite several generous bids from Premiership teams,<ref>{{ cite news| url = http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2002390000-2005590125,00.html | title = Arsene KO'd in Dinho bid | publisher = The Sun | accessdate = 2007-04-12 }}</ref> and several requests from Grêmio (they offered £7000, or $13,825 USD a week),{{Fact|date=June 2008}} Ronaldinho signed a five-year contract with [[Paris Saint-Germain FC]], to whom he moved at the beginning of the 2001-2002 season.

Between leaving Grêmio and starting his contract at PSG, Ronaldinho had expressed an interest in a temporary spell with [[Scottish Premier League]] side [[St Mirren F.C.]], though this ultimately fell through owing to his involvement in a fake [[passport]] scandal in his homeland.<ref>{{ cite web | title = Saints fail in Ronaldinho move | url = http://soccernet.espn.go.com/archive/scotland/news/2001/0330/20010330smfcsronaldinho.html | first = Stephen | last = McGowan | work = Scotland - News | publisher = ESPN.com Soccernet | date = [[30 March]] [[2001]] | accessdate = 2008-06-06 }}</ref>

=== Paris Saint-Germain ===

During his time at PSG, the manager, [[Luis Fernandez]], claimed that Ronaldinho was too focused on the [[Paris]]ian nightlife rather than on his football, and complained that his holidays in Brazil would always drag on and never end at the scheduled times.<ref name="worldsoccerjan2005" /> He developed a reputation for performing brilliantly against the bigger teams, but against the smaller teams he seemed to drift in and out of the games.

After the [[2002 FIFA World Cup|2002 World Cup]], having shown his worth on the international scene, there was no shortage of interest from bigger clubs. In 2003, Ronaldinho made it clear he wanted to leave PSG after they failed to qualify for any European competitions. Ronaldinho's desire to leave set off a bidding war among the top European clubs ([[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] and [[FC Barcelona]] the notable examples) for his services.<ref name="worldsoccerjan2005" /> The club that ended up winning the battle for his services was FC Barcelona. [[Manchester United]] also wanted him, but due to the constraints of being a [[Public limited company|PLC]], could not come to an agreement with PSG.

=== Barcelona ===
[[Image:Ronaldinho.jpg|thumb|200px|Ronaldinho in 2004.]]

On [[July 19]] [[2003]], [[FC Barcelona]] acquired Ronaldinho for £21 million.<ref name="Barcelona transfer">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/3079815.stm|title=Ronaldinho joins Barcelona|publisher=BBC Sport website|date=[[July 20]], [[2003]]}}</ref> Originally, Barcelona [[President]] [[Joan Laporta]] had promised to bring [[David Beckham]] to the club, but following his transfer to [[Real Madrid C.F.|Real Madrid]], Barcelona entered the running for Ronaldinho and beat [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] to his signature. It was thought that a failure on the part of the English and French clubs to agree on a fee was the reason Manchester United's deal fell through. Ronaldinho is also said to have signed with Barcelona instead of Manchester United because of his friendship with former [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]] executive in Brazil and Barcelona's then vice-president in charge of sports, [[Sandro Rosell]].<ref name="worldsocceraug2005">Lowe, Sid, "Friends and enemies", ''World Soccer'', August 2005, pp. 18-21</ref> Ronaldinho's signing with Barcelona follows in the footsteps of a number of illustrious fellow countrymen who enjoyed successful careers with the club, including [[Romário]], [[Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima|Ronaldo]] and [[Rivaldo]].

==== 2003-04 season ====
Barcelona quickly showcased the talents of their new striker in an exhibition match against [[A.C. Milan]]. The match took place in front of a crowd of 45,000 at [[RFK Stadium]] in [[Washington, D.C]]. Barcelona had a 1-0 lead through most of the first half, and they increased their lead to 2-0 when Ronaldinho scored in the 51st minute. Having received a short pass from [[Xavi]], Ronaldinho fired a shot that spun around [[Fernando Redondo]] and into the net, landing him his first goal for the club.

After returning from injury in the first half of the campaign, Ronaldinho continued to justify his price tag by leading Barcelona to a second-place finish in [[La Liga]] during the [[La Liga - 2003/2004|2003/2004 season]].

====2004-05 season====
Along with [[Samuel Eto'o]], [[Deco]], [[Xavi]], [[Ludovic Giuly]] and [[Henrik Larsson]], Ronaldinho comprised part of a strike force which helped bring the [[La Liga season 2004/2005|2004-05]] [[La Liga]] title for [[FC Barcelona]]. On [[December 20]], [[2004]], Ronaldinho was named [[FIFA World Player of the Year]] ahead of [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]'s [[Thierry Henry]] and [[A.C. Milan]]'s [[Andriy Shevchenko]]. It was then that Barcelona rejected a £60 million bid made for him by [[Chelsea F.C.]], according to Sandro Rosell.<ref name="worldsoccerjan2005" />

In March 2005, Barcelona were knocked out of the [[UEFA Champions League 2004-05|Champions League]] by Chelsea in the [[UEFA Champions League 2004-05#Round of 16|first knockout round]]. Ronaldinho scored a penalty kick and an impressive solo goal in the 4-2 defeat at [[Stamford Bridge (stadium)|Stamford Bridge]].<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/4321491.stm
|title=Chelsea 4-2 Barcelona
|publisher=BBC Sport
|date=8 March, 2005
|accessdate=2006-06-27
}}</ref> After the match, he was involved in a physical altercation with Chelsea stewards following allegations that the stewards had behaved in a racist and provocative manner.<ref>{{cite news
|last=Hughes
|first=Matt
|url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4153/is_20050309/ai_n12829226
|title=Race row spoils Chelsea triumph
|publisher=[[Evening Standard]] / FindArticles
|date=2005-03-09
|accessdate=2006-12-29
}}</ref> Neither team was punished by UEFA, who downplayed the incident as "a very minor scuffle" and lacked firm evidence about the alleged racism.<ref>{{cite news
|last=Ziegler
|first=Martyn |url=http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/2005/03/10/story772336704.asp
|title=Chelsea and Barca to escape punishment
|publisher=[[Irish Examiner]]
|date=2005-03-10
|accessdate=2006-12-29
}}</ref>

In June 2005, Rosell resigned from the Barcelona administration following a bust-up with [[Joan Laporta]], and it was feared that his resignation would spell the end for Ronaldinho and Barcelona's association as well. With Ronaldinho's contract running only into 2008, he was offered a contract until 2014 that would net him £85 million over those 9 years,<ref name="worldsocceraug2005" /> which he rejected. Later that year in September, he signed a two-year extension of his original contract on with FC Barcelona. The new contract contains a minimum fee release clause that allows him to leave should a club make an offer to Barcelona of at least £85 million for him.<ref>{{cite news
|title=Ronaldinjo do 2010. u Barseloni
|url=http://www.b92.net/sport/fudbal.php?nav_id=175775&dd=02&mm=09&yyyy=2005
|publisher=B92
|date=2005-09-02
|accessdate=2006-06-14
}} (in Serbian)</ref>

====2005-06 season====
{{proseline}}
On [[November 19]], [[2005]], Ronaldinho scored two solo goals to help FC Barcelona to a 3&ndash;0 win over arch-rivals [[Real Madrid C.F.|Real Madrid]] at the [[Santiago Bernabéu Stadium|Santiago Bernabéu]] in [[Madrid]]. After he scored his second goal of the night, his team's third, a large part of the Madrid followers gave him a standing ovation, a rare feat which had not occurred since [[Diego Maradona]] played for [[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]] in 1982.

In September 2005, Ronaldinho was crowned [[FIFPro#World Player of the Year|FIFPro World Player of the Year]], an award voted for by his fellow professionals. He was also named in the [[FIFPro#World XI|FIFPro team of the year]] alongside the likes of [[Zidane]] and [[Maldini]]. In November 2005 Ronaldinho was named as both the [[European Footballer of the Year]] and the best striker in the [[UEFA Champions League 2004-05|2004-05 Champions League]]. In 2005, Ronaldinho became the third Brazilian to win the [[Ballon d'Or]]. On [[December 19]] [[2005]], he was again named [[FIFA World Player of the Year]] with 956 points, more than three times the 306 points of [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]'s [[Frank Lampard]], who finished second in the poll, and the 190 points of Barcelona team mate Samuel Eto'o who finished third. He was chosen for the [[UEFA]] team of 2005 for the third time running in January 2006.

On [[March 7]], [[2006]], in the 2nd leg of the Champions League first knockout round at [[Nou Camp]], Ronaldinho avenged Barcelona's defeat to [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]] in the same competition the previous year, running past the Chelsea defence to score. Although the game ended 1-1 with Chelsea equalling through a dubious penalty in the second half stoppage time,<ref>{{cite news
|title=Ronaldinho breaks Chelsea's resolve
|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2006/03/08/sfgbar08.xml
|date=8 March 2006
|accessdate=2006-08-25
|publisher=telegraph.co.uk
|}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
|title=UEFA Champions League Barcelona v Chelsea Report
|url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=192148&cc=3888
|date=7 March 2006
|accessdate=2006-08-25
|publisher=ESPNsoccernet
|}}</ref> Barcelona progressed to the Champions League quarter-final on aggregate (3-2), in which they beat [[SL Benfica]] 2-0 at Nou Camp (Ronaldinho having scored the first goal after missing an early penalty kick) after a goalless draw at the [[Estádio da Luz]]. In the first semi-final leg, against AC Milan in the [[Stadio Giuseppe Meazza|San Siro]], Ronaldinho once again proved his worth with a superb pass for the goal volleyed in by [[Ludovic Giuly]], which brought Barcelona a 1-0 victory. The second leg game ended in a goalless draw despite a disallowed goal from [[Andriy Shevchenko]] in the 70th minute. The 0-0 result with [[AC Milan]] brought Barcelona to the [[2006 UEFA Champions League Final|2006 Champions League Final]] in [[Paris]] against [[Arsenal F.C.]], who had not conceded a goal in ten Champions League matches, a competition record.

On [[May 3]], [[2006]], Barcelona were crowned [[La Liga season 2005/2006|2005-06 La Liga]] champions after they beat [[Celta de Vigo|Celta Vigo]] 1-0.

On [[May 17]], [[2006]], Barcelona became European champions after defeating [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] 2-1 in the [[2006 UEFA Champions League Final|Champions League final]]. In this match Ronaldinho was kept relatively subdued and the goals came from [[Samuel Eto'o]] and [[Juliano Belletti]], who were both assisted by [[Henrik Larsson]]. Ronaldinho finished the season with 26 goals in all competitions, his best goalscoring tally ever. It was rumoured on [[3 August]] that Ronaldinho might move to AC Milan, but Ronaldinho denied it. On [[August 24]], [[2006]], Ronaldinho was named Champions League player of the year for the 2005-06 season.

====2006-07 season====
{{proseline}}
[[Image:Ronaldinho Belletti and Giuly 9dec2006.jpg|right|thumb|Ronaldinho celebrates a goal with [[Juliano Belletti|Belletti]] and [[Ludovic Giuly|Giuly]].]]
On [[September 12]], [[2006]], Ronaldinho gave a stellar display as the defending champions [[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]] beat [[PFC Levski Sofia]] 5-0 in the [[UEFA Champions League 2006-07|Champions League]]. He was involved in two of the goals before wrapping up the win with a stunning strike in the final minute.[http://www.uefa.com/Competitions/UCL/FixturesResults/Round=2357/match=1116315/report=RP.html]

On [[November 25]], [[2006]], Ronaldinho scored his 50th league goal against [[Villarreal CF|Villarreal]] during a [[La Liga|Spanish League]] match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona. In that same match he scored a second goal by an over head [[bicycle kick]], after controlling the ball with his chest. He later said that it was a goal he had dreamed of scoring since he was a boy.<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=393786&cc=3436
|title=Ronaldinho fulfils boyhood dream with overhead goal
|publisher=ESPNsoccernet / Reuters
|date=November 26, 2006
|accessdate=2007-01-06
}}</ref>

On [[December 5]], [[2006]], Ronaldinho scored a low free kick against [[Werder Bremen]] in the first round of the [[UEFA Champions League 2006-07|Champions League]] to help Barcelona to a 2-0 win and send them through to the next round. He tricked the Bremen defenders by sending his free-kick under the wall, when his trademark is to bend it high, for Barcelona’s first goal and then picked out team mate Ludovic Giuly who passed to Eidur Gudjohnsen for the second.<ref name="Werder5dec2006">{{cite news
|title=Ronaldinho conjures yet more magic for Barca
|url=http://sport.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1814222006| publisher=The Scotsman
|first=Massimo
|last=Marzocchi
|date=14 December 2006}}</ref>

On [[December 14]], [[2006]], Ronaldinho inspired Barcelona to beat Mexico's [[Club America]] 4-0 by scoring one and setting up two other goals to book a spot in the final of the [[FIFA Club World Cup 2006|Club World Cup]] at Yokohama, Japan where Brazil lifted their fifth World Cup trophy in 2002.<ref name="FIFA Club World Cup 2006">{{cite news
|title=Ronaldinho turns on style as Barcelona beat Club America 4-0
|url=http://asia.news.yahoo.com/061214/kyodo/d8m0kc804.html
| publisher=Yahoo! Asia News
|date=7 December 2006}}</ref>

On [[December 17]], [[2006]], at the same Yokohama Stadium, Ronaldinho's efforts were not enough to beat his ex-rival team, the [[Sport Club Internacional]], from [[Brazil]]. Barcelona lost 1-0 in the final. Ronaldinho won the Bronze ball award for the tournament.

The next day Ronaldinho appeared at the World Player of the Year Gala in Zurich to claim third place in the 2006 [[FIFA World Player of the Year]] poll, behind the Italian [[FIFA World Cup 2006|World Cup]] winning captain [[Fabio Cannavaro]] and [[Zinedine Zidane]].<ref name="FIFAWorldPlayer2006">{{cite news|title=Cannavaro & Ronaldinho: We already feel like winners|url=http://www.fifa.com/en/mens/awards/gala/0,2418,128141,00.html?articleid=128141| publisher=FIFA.com|first=|last=|date=18 December 2006}}</ref>

In January, 2007, Ronaldinho was named among the [[UEFA Team of the Year]] for the third time in a row, receiving the highest number of votes in almost 292,000 nominations.[http://www.uefa.com/fanzone/teamoftheyear/news/newsid=497866.html]

On [[January 28]], [[2007]], [[F.C. Internazionale Milano|Inter Milan]] president [[Massimo Moratti]] announced his intention to bid for Ronaldinho in response to [[AC Milan]]'s acquisition of [[Ronaldo]] just days before.<ref name="Interbid">{{cite news
|title=Inter president to rumble AC Milan plans for Ronaldinho
|url=http://www.tribalfootball.com/article.php?id=26802
| publisher=Tribal Football
|date=7 December 2006}}</ref>

On [[March 13]], [[2007]], the [[FC Barcelona]] playmaker was scheduled to play for [[Marcello Lippi]]'s European XI, but he withdrew because of an injury he picked up during the 3-3 draw with [[Real Madrid C.F.|Real Madrid]] on Saturday evening. Lippi's squad lost to [[Sir Alex Ferguson]]'s premiership leading [[Manchester United]] side by a 4-3 score line.<ref name="Ronaldinho misses out">{{cite news
|title=Ronaldinho misses out
|url=http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid=%7BB4CEE8FA%2D9A47%2D47BC%2DB069%2D3F7A2F35DB70%7D&newsid=410669
| publisher=Manutd.com
|date=13 March 2007}}</ref>[http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid=%7BB4CEE8FA%2D9A47%2D47BC%2DB069%2D3F7A2F35DB70%7D&newsid=410669]

==== 2007-08 season ====

On [[3 February]] [[2008]] Ronaldinho played his 200th match for Barcelona (against [[Osasuna]] at [[Camp Nou]]). His 2007-2008 season was plagued by injuries, and missed the remainder of Barcelona's season after tearing a muscle in his right leg in training on [[3 April]] [[2008]]. <ref>{{ cite web | title = Injury ends Ronaldinho's campaign | url = http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/injury-ends-ronaldinhos-campaign-804944.html | first = Gordon | last = Tynan | date = [[5 April]] [[2008]] | work = Football | publisher = The Independent | accessdate = 2008-06-06 }}</ref>

On [[May 19]] [[2008]], Barcelona president [[Joan Laporta]] stated that Ronaldinho needed a 'new challenge' and must join a new club if he were to revive his career.<ref>{{ cite news | url = http://fourfourtwo.com/news/spain/9517/default.aspx | title = Laporta: Ronaldinho needs to leave Nou Camp | publisher = FourFourTwo | date = 2008-05-19 | accessdate = 2008-05-19 }}</ref> Subsequently, he has been linked with a move to [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] whose owner, [[Thaksin Shinawatra]], confirmed on [[6 June]] that he is trying to bring Ronaldinho to the [[City of Manchester Stadium]].<ref>{{ cite web | url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_city/article4069564.ece | title = Manchester City set to move for Ronaldinho | first = James | last = Ducker | work = The Times Online | publisher = The Times | date = [[5 June]] [[2008]] | accessdate = 2008-06-06 }}</ref>

== International career ==
[[Image:Ronaldinho and Lula.jpg|thumb|Ronaldinho with Brazilian President [[Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva|Lula]]]]
Ronaldinho is one of few players to have played for [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]] at every footballing level, as he has played at under 15, under 17, under 20, under 23, and senior level. He made his first ever appearance for Brazil playing against [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]] on [[7 March]] [[1995]] in an under 15s match, Brazil lost the game 1-0.

====1997 FIFA Under-17 World Championship====
Ronaldinho was part of the first ever Brazilian team to win the [[1997 FIFA U-17 World Championship|FIFA U-17 World Championship]], in [[Egypt]], 1997. His first goal was scored from a penalty against [[Austria national football team|Austria]] in the first group match, which Brazil won 7-0, and eventually went on to finish top of their group. In the quarter-finals Brazil beat [[Argentina national football team|Argentina]] 2-0, in which Ronaldinho was named the Man of the Match after setting up his teammate [[Fabio Pinto]] and creating numerous scoring chances. In the semi-finals Brazil had their first game against a European team, they had to play [[Germany national football team|Germany]], Brazil won the match 4-0 and Ronaldinho scored the fourth goal with a penalty. In the final Brazil had to play reigning champions [[Ghana national football team|Ghana]], the game went 1-0 up for Ghana just before the half time break, only for Brazil to win the game 2-1 with the second goal being scored in the 87th minute. During the six matches of the tournament Brazil conceded only 2 goals and scored 21. Ronaldinho was named one of the best players of the tournament, receiving the Bronze Ball award. After the under 17's championship, he debuted for the [[Brazil national football team|Brazilian national team]] on [[June 26]], [[1999]] against [[Latvia national football team|Latvia]] in a game which Brazil won 3-0.

====1999 FIFA World Youth Championship====
Ronaldinho also took part in the [[1999 FIFA World Youth Championship]] which took place in [[Nigeria]]. As usual, Brazil was favorite to win the trophy. However, they lost their opening match against [[Spain national football team|Spain]] 2-0. But Brazil managed to finish the group at second place following their victories over [[Honduras national football team|Honduras]] and [[Zambia national football team|Zambia]], 3-0 and 5-1 respectively. Ronaldinho scored his first goal in Brazil's last group match and in the round of 16, Ronaldinho helped his team to beat [[Croatia national football team|Croatia]] 4-0 by scoring two first half goals. However, Brazil lost to their old rivals [[Uruguay national football team|Uruguay]] 2-1 in the quarter finals.

[[Image:Ronaldinho061115-03.jpg|thumb|Ronaldinho playing against Switzerland]]
====Copa America 1999====
Ronaldinho first tournament participation with the [[Brazil national football team|Brazilian national team]] came in when he was included in the Brazilian squad that won the [[Copa América 1999|1999 Copa América]]. He scored a goal against [[Venezuela national football team|Venezuela]] in the [[Copa América 1999|1999 Copa América]], a game that the Brazilian team won 7-0.

====1999 FIFA Confederations Cup====
Ronaldinho was both top player and scorer in the [[1999 FIFA Confederations Cup]]. He scored in all of the games of the tournament including a hat-trick against Saudi Arabia in the semi-finals to give Brazil an 8-2 win. Although Brazil lost to Mexico 4-3 in the final in which Ronaldinho did not participate due to injury.

====2002 World Cup====
Ronaldinho played a part in Brazil's successful 2002 campaign to win the [[2002 FIFA World Cup|World Cup]], forming the famed "3 R's" with [[Ronaldo]] and [[Rivaldo]]. He scored two goals in the tournament. One of the highlights was an unconventional 30-yard free kick he scored against [[England]] in the quarter-finals in [[Shizuoka Stadium|Shizuoka]]. The ball lobbed over the English keeper [[David Seaman]], who was out of position as he expected a pass into the penalty area, to make it 2-1 for Brazil. Soon after, he was sent off for a foul on [[Danny Mills]]. Following the sending-off, he was suspended for the semifinal, but returned to Brazil's starting line-up for the 2-0 victory over [[Germany]] in the final.

====2005 Confederations Cup====
On [[June 29]], [[2005]], he played a pivotal role as the [[Captain (football)|captain]] of the Brazilian squad that won its second FIFA [[Confederations Cup 2005|Confederations Cup]] title, and was named Man of the Match in a 4&ndash;1 victory over [[Argentina]] in the final.

[[Image:Ronaldinho bored.jpg|thumb|Ronaldinho on the road with the national squad.]]
====2006 World Cup====
In the [[2006 FIFA World Cup]], Ronaldinho was a starting player for all of Brazil's five matches, but his performances were considered disappointing by both fans and commentators. He scored no goals and made only one assist (for [[Gilberto da Silva Melo|Gilberto]]'s goal in a 4-1 victory over [[Japan national football team|Japan]]). When Brazil were eliminated by France 1-0 in the quarterfinal, he failed to make an impression.<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/soccer/specials/world_cup/2006/07/01/ronaldinho.brazil.ap/index.html
|title=Ronaldinho no factor in Brazil defeat
|publisher=Sports Illustrated
|date=July 1, 2006
|accessdate=2006-07-07
}}</ref>

Immediately after the World Cup disappointment, the team was criticized by many Brazilians, and vandals immolated and destroyed a 7.5-meter (23 ft) tall [[fiberglass]] and [[resin]] statue of Ronaldinho in the Brazilian city of [[Chapecó]].<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://copa.esporte.uol.com.br/copa/2006/ultnot/brasil/2006/07/03/ult3505u683.jhtm
|title=Estátua de Ronaldinho é queimada em Santa Catarina
|publisher=UOL Esporte
|date=[[2006-07-03]]
|accessdate=2006-07-04
}}</ref> The statue had been erected in 2004 to celebrate his first election as [[FIFA World Player of the Year]].
Two days after the loss, Ronaldinho, joined by [[Adriano Leite Ribeiro|Adriano]], returned to Barcelona and held a party at his home, which was continued into the early morning hours at a nightclub. This increased the feeling of Brazilian fans that they were betrayed by the lack of effort from their national team.<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/esporte/ult92u105276.shtml
|title=Decepção da Copa, Ronaldinho "festeja" com comida, dança e balada
|publisher=Folha Online
|date=[[2006-07-04]]
|accessdate=2006-07-04
}}</ref> This reaction contrasted with other players such as [[Rogerio Ceni]], who was ashamed of the game and said "some defeats are marked by struggle, but we lost in an infelicitous way, that wasn't what we had hoped for"<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://esportes.terra.com.br/futebol/copa2006/selecoes/interna/0,,OI1060809-EI5583,00.html
|title=Envergonhado, Ceni admite superioridade francesa
|publisher=Terra Esportes
|date=[[2006-07-04]]
|accessdate=2006-07-04
}}</ref> and [[Zé Roberto]], who cried and said that "the unity that we had outside the pitch, lacked inside it".<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://esportes.terra.com.br/futebol/copa2006/selecoes/interna/0,,OI1060706-EI5583,00.html
|title=Emocionado, Zé Roberto diz que faltou união em campo
|publisher=Terra Esportes
|date=[[2006-07-04]]
|accessdate=2006-07-05
}}</ref>

====After the World Cup====
After the [[2006 FIFA World Cup|World Cup]], he has played in three of five official matches under [[Dunga]]'s command (one start and two substitute appearances). After coming off the bench against Ecuador, Ronaldinho excelled, creating the winning goal for [[Kaká]] and hitting the post twice.

On [[March 24]], [[2007]], Ronaldinho made his first start for [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]] since September 2006 and scored twice in Brazil's 4-0 win against [[Chile national football team|Chile]], putting an end to a scoreless streak that lasted nearly two years.[http://www.cnn.com/2007/SPORT/football/03/24/brazil.friendly.reut/index.html?section=cnn_latest]

==Statistics==

'''FC Barcelona''':<br>
''First match'': [[FC Barcelona]] - [[Athletic Bilbao]] 1-0 (30-08-2003)<br>
207 matches - 93 goals([[La Liga]]: 145/69, European Cups: 42/18 ([[UEFA Cup]]:7/4, [[UEFA Champions League]]:35/14), [[Copa del Rey]]: 13/4, [[Supercopa de España]]: 4/1, [[UEFA Super Cup]]: 1/0, [[FIFA Club World Cup]]: 2/1

'''[[Brazil national football team|National team]]''':

''First cap'': [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]] - [[Latvia national football team|Latvia]] 3 - 0 (26.06.1999)<br>
''Last cap'': [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]] - [[Uruguay national football team|Uruguay]] 2 - 1 (21.11.2007)<br>

82 caps - 32 goals

==Club career statistics==
As of [[April 05]], [[2008]]<ref>[http://soccernet.espn.go.com/players/stats?id=20128&cc=5901 Soccernet player statistics]</ref>
{{Football player statistics 1|NY}}
{{Football player statistics 2|BRA|NY}}
|-
|1998||rowspan="3"|[[Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense|Grêmio]]||rowspan="3"|[[Campeonato Brasileiro Série A|Série A]]||5||0||||||colspan="2"|-||5||0
|-
|1999||19||6||||||colspan="2"|-||19||6
|-
|2000||11||8||||||colspan="2"|-||11||8
{{Football player statistics 2|FRA|NY}}
|-
|[[Division 1 season 2001-02|2001-02]]||rowspan="2"|[[Paris Saint-Germain FC|Paris Saint-Germain]]||[[Ligue 1|Division 1]]||25||8||||||3||2||28||10
|-
|[[Ligue 1 season 2002-03|2002-03]]||[[Ligue 1]]||28||9||||||4||1||32||10
{{Football player statistics 2|ESP|NY}}
|-
|[[La Liga 2003-04|2003-04]]||rowspan="5"|[[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]]||rowspan="5"|[[La Liga]]||33||15||6||3||7||4||40||19
|-
|[[La Liga 2004-05|2004-05]]||35||9||0||0||7||4||42||13
|-
|[[La Liga 2005-06|2005-06]]||29||17||2||1||12||7||42||24
|-
|[[La Liga 2006-07|2006-07]]||35||21||4||0||8||2||47||23
|-
|[[La Liga 2007-08|2007-08]]||17||8||1||0||8||1||14||9
{{Football player statistics 3|3|BRA}}35||14||||||colspan="2"|-||35||14
{{Football player statistics 4|FRA}}53||17||||||7||3||60||20
{{Football player statistics 4|ESP}}149||70||13||4||42||18||185||92
{{Football player statistics 5}}237||101||13||4||49||21||280||126
|}

==Honors==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
'''Club'''
*[[Campeonato Gaúcho|Rio Grande do Sul State Championship]]: 1999
*[[Rio Grande do Sul State Cup]]: 1999
*[[Intertoto Cup]]: 2001
*[[La Liga|Spanish Liga]]: 2005, 2006
*[[Supercopa de España]]: 2005, 2006
*[[UEFA Champions League]]: 2006
*[[FIFA Club World Cup 2006]]: Runners-up

'''International'''
*[[FIFA U-17 World Cup]]: 1997
*[[Copa America]]: 1999
*[[FIFA World Cup]]: 2002
*[[Confederations Cup]]: 2005
{{col-2}}
'''Individual'''
*[[Pelé]] named Ronaldinho in his [[FIFA 100|125 Top Living Footballers]] in March 2004.
*[[FIFA World Player of the Year]]: 2004, 2005
*[[World Soccer Awards|World Soccer Player of the Year]]: 2004, 2005
*[[European Footballer of the Year]]: 2005
*[[FIFPro#World Player of the Year|FIFPro World Player of the Year]] 2005, 2006
*[[FIFPro World XI]]: 2005, 2006, 2007

*[[UEFA Club Footballer of the Year]]: 2005-06
*[[UEFA Club Football Awards|UEFA Club Best Forward]]: 2004-05
*[[UEFA Team of the Year]]: 2004, 2005, 2006
*Best foreign player in La Liga: 2004, 2006
*[[EFE|EFE Trophy]]: Best Ibero-American Player in La Liga: 2004
*[[2002 FIFA World Cup|FIFA World Cup 2002 All-Star team]]: 2002
*[[FIFA Club World Cup 2006|FIFA Club World Cup Bronze Ball Award]]: 2006
*[[1999 FIFA Confederations Cup|FIFA Confederations Cup Top Scorer]]: 1999
*[[1999 FIFA Confederations Cup|FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Ball]]: 1999
*[[Campeonato Gaúcho|Rio Grande do Sul State Championship Top Scorer]]: 1999
{{col-end}}

== Notes ==

{{refs|3}}

==References==
*[http://www.footballdatabase.com/site/players/index.php?dumpPlayer=1054 FootballDatabase career stats]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/internationals/r/ronaldinho_199729.stm Ronaldinho profile] at BBC Sport website

==External links==
{{commonscat|Ronaldinho}}
{{wikiquote}}
*{{FIFA player|3243|Ronaldinho}}
*[http://www.ronaldinhogaucho.com Ronaldinho Gaúcho Official Website] {{es icon}} {{pt icon}} {{en icon}} {{ca icon}}
*[http://www.fcbarcelona.com/web/english/futbol/temporada_06-07/plantilla/jugadors/ronaldinho.html Ronaldinho profile] at FC Barcelona website
*[http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/enwiki/w/player/3243_RONALDINHO.html Ronaldinho profile] at FIFA website
*{{soccerbase|19302|Ronaldinho}}

{{Navboxes
|title= Ronaldinho - Navigation boxes and awards
|list1=
{{Brazil Squad 2002 World Cup}}
{{Brazil Squad 2006 World Cup}}
{{FC Barcelona Squad}}
{{Ballon d'Or recipients}}
{{FIFA World Player of the Year winners}}
{{start box}}
{{succession box|title=[[Ballon d'Or]]|before=[[Andriy Shevchenko]]|after=[[Fabio Cannavaro]]|years=2005}}
{{succession box|title=[[FIFA World Player of the Year]]|before=[[Zinedine Zidane]]|after=[[Fabio Cannavaro]]|years=2004, 2005}}
{{succession box|title=[[World Soccer Awards#Player of the Year|''World Soccer'' Player of the Year]]|
before=[[Pavel Nedvěd]] |after=[[Fabio Cannavaro]]|years=2004, 2005}}
{{succession box|title=[[FIFPro|FIFPro World Player of the Year]]|before=inaugural |after=[[Kaká]]|years=2005, 2006}}
{{succession box|title=[[UEFA Club Footballer of the Year]]|UEFA Club Football Awards|before=[[Steven Gerrard]] |after=[[Kaká]]|years=2005-06}}
{{end box}}
}}

<!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] -->

{{Persondata
|NAME=Gaucho, Ronaldinho
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=de Assis Moreira, Ronaldo
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=Footballer
|DATE OF BIRTH=[[21 March]] [[1980]]
|PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Porto Alegre]], [[Brazil]]
|DATE OF DEATH=
|PLACE OF DEATH=
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ronaldinho}}
[[Category:1980 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:2002 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:2005 FIFA Confederations Cup players]]
[[Category:2006 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:Brazilians of Black African descent]]
[[Category:Afro-Spaniards]]
[[Category:Brazil international footballers]]
[[Category:Brazilian expatriate footballers]]
[[Category:Brazilian expatriates in France]]
[[Category:Brazilian footballers]]
[[Category:Brazilian immigrants to Spain]]
[[Category:Expatriate footballers in France]]
[[Category:Expatriate footballers in Spain]] <!--until Jan. 2007-->
[[Category:European Footballers of the Year]]
[[Category:FC Barcelona footballers]]
[[Category:FIFA 100]]
[[Category:FIFA World Cup-winning players]]
[[Category:FIFA World Players of the Year]]
[[Category:Football (soccer) strikers]]
[[Category:Footballers at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense players]]
[[Category:La Liga footballers]]
[[Category:Naturalised citizens of Spain]]
[[Category:Olympic footballers of Brazil]]
[[Category:Paris Saint-Germain players]]
[[Category:People from Porto Alegre]]
[[Category:People from Rio Grande do Sul]]
[[Category:World Soccer Magazine World Player of the Year]]

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[[ro:Ronaldinho]]
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[[uk:Рональдіньо]]
[[yi:רונאלדיניו]]
[[bat-smg:Ronaldinho]]
[[zh:罗纳尔迪尼奥]]

Revision as of 01:47, 22 June 2008

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