Ronaldinho

Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, known to the world as Ronaldinho, was born on 21 March 1980 in Porto Alegre, in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. He grew up in a football family — his elder brother also played professionally — and developed in the youth ranks of Grêmio, where his inventive, improvisational style, rooted in Brazilian street and futsal football, quickly set him apart.

He made his name internationally in the early 2000s, moving to Europe with Paris Saint-Germain before joining FC Barcelona in 2003. At Barcelona he became the central figure of the club's revival, leading it to league titles and, in 2006, the Champions League. His combination of technique, creativity, and evident joy in playing made him one of the most popular footballers in the world during those years.

He was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005 and received the Ballon d'Or in 2005, at the peak of a period in which he was widely regarded as the best player in the game. His performances for Barcelona were credited with helping to restore the club to the top of European football ahead of the era that followed.

With the Brazil national team he won the 2002 FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan, as part of a celebrated attacking line, and he also won the Confederations Cup. He had earlier success in youth and continental competition with Brazil.

The later stages of his club career included a spell at AC Milan and returns to football in Brazil, where he played for clubs including Flamengo and Atlético Mineiro; with the latter he won the Copa Libertadores in 2013. His form was less consistent in these years, but his standing as one of the game's great entertainers remained.

Ronaldinho is remembered as an emblem of a particular Brazilian ideal of football — skilful, joyful, and improvisational — and as one of the most gifted attacking players of his generation, whose peak years at Barcelona left a lasting mark on the modern game.