Ronaldinho Profile
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (born 21 March 1980) is a footballer more commonly known as Ronaldinho Gaucho, due to his being from the Rio Grande do Sul state of Brazil, or more simply known as Ronaldinho.
His name Ronaldinho, Portuguese for "little Ronaldo", was originally devised as a means of distinguishing between himself and fellow Brazilian football star Ronaldo, with the additional title Gaucho being used when the current Ronaldo was also known 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 award (2005). He has downplayed suggestions that he is the best footballer in the world, telling FourFourTwo magazine, "I don't even feel I'm the best at Barca."
Personal Life
Ronaldinho was born on March 21, 1980 in Vila Nova, a poor suburb of Porto Alegre, Brazil. He was the youngest of three children. Ronaldinho's mother Miguelina is a former salesperson who later studied to become a nurse. His father Joao was a shipyard worker and footballer for Cruzeiro. The family moved to a more affluent district of Porto Alegre when Ronaldinho's older brother Roberto signed to play professional football for Gremio. Joao died when Ronaldinho was 8, after suffering a heart attack while swimming in the family's pool. Injuries ended Roberto's career prematurely, and he now manages Ronaldinho. Ronaldinho's sister Deisi works as his press coordinator.Ronaldinho's son, named Joao after his father, was born on 25 February, 2005. Joao's mother is Janaina Nattielle Viana Mendes, a former dancer on the Brazilian television show Domingao do Faustao.
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 a 23 goal flurry against a local team, at just 13 years of age. His reputation as a footballer was built up through his childhood, particularly since he was identified as a rising star at the Egypt 1997 under-17 world championship. He scored two goals in the tournament, both penalty kicks.
He is a huge fan of Brazilian music, and occasionally plays the drums and sings with friends in Barcelona.
Professional Career - Brazil
Ronaldinho debuted for the Brazilian national team on June 26, 1999 against Latvia. In his first tournament participation he scored against Venezuela in the 1999 Copa America, a game that the Brazilian team won.
Ronaldinho played a part in Brazil's successful 2002 campaign to win the World Cup. One of the highlights of the tournament was a 35-metre free kick he scored against England in the quarter-finals in Shizuoka. He was sent off soon after 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.
On June 29, 2005, he played a pivotal role as the captain of the Brazilian squad that won its second FIFA Confederations Cup title, and was named Man of the Match in a 4-1 victory over Argentina in the final. Pele named Ronaldinho in his 125 Top Living Footballers in March 2004.
In 2006 Ronaldinho was a starting player on Brazil's World Cup Team. He did not score any goals and had only one assist. When Brazil was eliminated by France in the quarterfinal, he failed to make any impression on the field.
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