Posted on Friday, 26th June 2009 by Denise I Smithson
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, born March 21st, 1980 in Porto Alegre, Brazil, has risen to become one of soccer’s greatest players. The 5′11″, 177-lb “Ronaldinho” began wowing spectators back in 1999 with his amazing mastery at the forward position. He began his amateur soccer career by following the path of his father Joao. Here he honed his talents by playing beach and indoor (”futbal”) soccer.
Born to Miguelina, and cared for by his sisters and brother after his father’s death when he was only eight, Ronaldinho achieved his first cap with the Brazilian senior team in 1999 with club Gremio under head coach Celso Roth. In 2001, Arsenal FC wanted Ronaldinho but this move would not go through as Ronaldinho was unable to obtain a work permit. Eventually, Ronaldinho would sign a five-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain FC where some reported he enjoyed his nightlife more than football. Unhappy in Paris, Ronaldiho finally went back to Barcelona in 2004.
Ronaldinho and his talented teammates Ronald and Rivaldo mesmerized onlookers at the Copa America in Paraguay. Ronaldinho scored Brazil’s fifth goal in their 7-0 trouncing of rival Venezuela. When Ronaldinho scored the game-winning goal off of an astounding 30-yard free kick which completely baffled England’s goalie David Seaman at 2002’s FIFA World Cup in Japan, he had made what has hence been known as the “Wonder Goal”. Having taken the quarterfinal, his team eventually won the World Cup. Ronaldinho was rewarded by being named part of the all-tournament team.
Soccer’s greatest prizes seem magnetized to Ronaldinho. He was won: the FIFA World Player of the Year (2004 and 2005); the UEFA’s Champion League Award (2006, a years when he put in seven goals in only12 matches) in Barcelona; and numerous others. “Sports Illustrated” magazine declared that Ronaldinho was the athlete with the fifth highest income in the world for 2008; his earnings of $37.5 million included his salary and bonuses on top of product endorsements and pay for making live appearances. The 28-year-old was now in the company of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, David Beckham, and Kimi Raikkonen.
During his 200th match in the summer of 2008, Ronaldinho dismayed his fans and spectators of soccer by going down with a right leg injury–an injury that got him sitting the bench for the rest of the season. Then to complicate matters, Ronaldinho and his club got into an argument over his decision to play in the Bejing Olympic games. Nevertheless, Ronaldinho eventually got a deal with the Italian Club AC Milan and went on to play in the Olympics alongside his countrymen.
Manchester City offered Ronaldinho a contract for over $25 million to play for them at a time when he was getting paid $21 million in Barcelona; however, he turned down this offer but instead when with AC Milan on a three-year deal. However, he gave up his #10 because it had been retired for Italian AC Milan player Clarence Seedorf. He replaced it with #80 for the year of his birth. Milan quickly saw the wisdom of their new player selection when Ronaldinho scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Internazionale in September of 2008.
Against Sporting Braga in the November 2008 UEFA Cup, Ronaldinho got Milan inot a 2-2 draw after they had fallen behind 2-0 when he scored a match-winner in the 93rd minute. His brother Roberto has been quite the force as Ronaldinho’s brother Roberto has acted as his brother’s agent and already brought him more endorsements for him that are booked up through 2014. Ronaldinho seems in better spirits these days in Milan, Italy.
Becoming a father in 2005 with the birth of his son Joao, named after his father and mother of Brazilian dancer Janaina Mendes, Ronaldinho’s soccer fate seems to be set in stone-what team he will remain on may be known only to Ronaldinho and Roberto. With fans of soccer everywhere shouting his name and cheering him on, we bet Ronaldinho will be a best bet for any team and some may dream, “what about the US?
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