Date of birth: 21 March 1980
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 70 kg
Position: Midfielder
Current Club: Barcelona (ESP)
Int'l Goals: 27 (as of 15-Jun-2006)
Int'l Caps: 64 (as of 15-Jun-2006)
First Int'l Cap: Brazil v. Latvia (26-Jun-1999)
Profile:
Despite being blessed with breathtaking skill and almost supernatural ball control, the endearingly-modest Ronaldinho Gaucho still blushes when he is mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Zico or Pele. He may not pursue the kind of legendary status afforded to Brazilian greats Garrincha, Didi or Vava, but with each passing game the feeling grows that Ronaldinho could become one of the finest players the
world has ever seen.
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, better known as Ronaldinho, was born on 21 March 1980 in the Restinga district of Porto Alegre, in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. At the age of seven, older
brother Roberto Assis, a
professional at local side Gremio Porto Alegre, took the talented youngster to join his club’s youth set-up. The Barcelona star has never forgotten his sibling’s help in getting him where he is today. “My biggest hero is my brother. He’s a shining example as a father, a brother and a footballer.”
Eight years on, Ronaldinho received his first call-up for the Brazilian national team’s junior side, and two years later he was a member of the team that won the FIFA U-17 World Championship in Egypt.
The Brazilian maestro turned professional in 1998, celebrating his first contract by helping Gremio to a 1-0 win over Rio de Janeiro side Vasco de Gama.
It would be another year before ‘Ronnie’ caught the eye of the world’s footballing elite. In 1999, having top-scored in his side’s State Championship win, Ronaldinho made his official debut for the Seleção in a friendly against Latvia. During that year’s Copa America, the fleet-footed forward gave a tantalising glimpse of what was to come with a wonder goal in Brazil’s 7-0 rout of Venezuela.
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