Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Ronaldinho   

Ronaldinho. Photo By Filipe Fortes – Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Ronaldinho   

Ronaldo De Assis Moreira, who is commonly known as Ronaldinho Gaúcho or simply Ronaldinho, is a Brazilian retired professional footballer who played mostly as an attacking midfielder but was also deployed as a winger. 

He was first given the nickname Ronaldinho – “inho” meaning small – because he was often the youngest and the smallest player in youth club matches. 

Ronaldinho is considered one of the best and most talented players of all time. He is famous for his technical skills, creativity, dribbling ability, and accuracy. 

His free kicks, use of tricks, feints, no-look passes, and overhead kicks place him well above the other players, and is feared on the field for his ability to score and create goals. 

Here are the top 10 fascinating facts about Ronaldinho. 

1. His Late Father and His Brother Were Footballers 

Ronaldo de Assis Moreira was born on 21st March 1980 in the city of Porto Alegre, the state capital of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.  

He was the son of Miguelina Elói Assis dos Santos and João de Assis Moreira, a nurse and a shipyard worker who was also a football player. 

Ronaldinho’s older brother Roberto was a professional footballer too. He was doing so well that a club that was trying to entice him, gifted him a house.  

Following this, the family moved to a home in the Guarujá section of Porto Alegre, a more affluent neighborhood. Roberto stopped playing football due to an injury.  

2. Ronaldinho’s Father drowned at the Family Swimming Pool 

Ronaldinho. Photo by By Agencia de Noticias – Wikimedia Commons

The house that the family moved to was a big, beautiful and modern one, that had a swimming pool.

It is while swimming here that Ronaldinho’s father had an accident. He hit his head and drowned. 

At that time, Ronaldo was just eight years old and his football skills had just begun to blossom.   

3. His Elder Brother Is His Manager 

He was given the nickname Ronaldinho because “inho” means small and he was often the youngest and the smallest player in youth club matches. 

He developed an interest in futsal and beach football, which later expanded to organized football.

Many of his signature moves originate from futsal, which is indoor football, especially his ball control because the ball is much faster indoors on a floor than it is on a grass field. 

His older brother, Roberto, acts as his manager while his sister, Deisi, works as his press coordinator.  

4. Ronaldinho Once Scored 23 Goals in One Game 

Ronaldinho’s talent was too obvious. At the tender age of 13, he scored 23 goals for his goal in his local youth league which resulted in his first brush with the media.

While he has not achieved the same feats in his professional career, he has nevertheless scored multiple hat tricks. 

Before he played for Brazil in the under-17 World Cup, Ronaldinho had been selected in the Gremio youth squad. Later, 18-year-old Ronaldinho scored 22 goals in 47 matches. 

Ronaldinho spent the bulk of his career with European clubs Paris Saint-Germain, FC Barcelona, and Milan.  He then returned to Brazil to play for Flamengo and Atlético Mineiro before moving to Mexico to play for Quertaro. 

5. He Was Part of The All-Star World Cup Team 

Ronaldinho. Photo By Кирилл – Wikimedia Commons

Ronaldinho participated in his first World Cup in 2002. He was part of the FIFA World Cup-winning team then, starring alongside Ronaldo and Rivaldo in an attacking trio.

The “Three Rs” were named in the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team and had also been on the 1999 Copa América winning squad 

The World Cup was held in South Korea and Japan, and Ronaldinho appeared in five matches during the tournament and scored two goals, as well as contributed with three assists. 

Ronaldinho has played 97 matches and scored 33 goals for the Brazil national football team.   

6. Ronaldinho was Featured in the First YouTube Video to Reach 1Millionn Views  

In 2005, Nike launched an advertisement featuring Ronaldinho where he was trying on a new pair of boots before smashing the crossbar four times without letting the ball touch the ground.  

The advertisement was the video that “broke the internet” and it was later confirmed as the first video to reach 1 million views on YouTube. 

Ronaldinho’s juggling skills were second to none and Nike celebrated the anniversary of the video by releasing a remastered version of the video plus a limited edition of the “Golden Touch” boots. 

7. He Has Many Awards and Honours 

Ronaldinho in Action. Photo By abdallahh – Wikimedia Commons

Being a global icon of football, Ronaldinho won two FIFA World Player of the Year awards and a Ballon d’Or.

He became the second Barcelona player, after Diego Maradona in 1983, to receive a standing ovation from Real Madrid fans at the Santiago Bernabéu. 

The player was included in the UEFA Team of the Year three times and the FIFA World XI three times.

He was named UEFA Club Footballer of the Year for the 2005–06 season and South American Footballer of the Year in 2013 as well. 

In 2004, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world’s greatest living players. These are just some of his awards and honors.

8. Ronaldinho Loves His Cars 

It is not unusual for rich athletes to drive fancy cars, but Ronaldinho’s collection of luxurious rides takes it to the next level.

Among the cars in his collection are an Audi Q7, a Hummer 2, and a $1.3 million Bugatti Veyron. 

This collection includes one of the fastest cars on the planet with a top speed of 253 miles per hour, a W16 engine, and 1001 horsepower.  

9. He Breached a Coca-Cola Sponsorship Deal

Ronaldinho. Photo By Marcos Wikimedia

Ronaldinho has had endorsements with many companies, including Nike, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, EA Sports, and Danone.

He is one of the world’s highest-paid players and in 2006 he earned over $19 million from endorsements. 

He however lost a lucrative $750,000 sponsorship deal with Coca-Cola after he was pictured with a Pepsi drink at a press conference.

Pepsi was sponsoring his then club Atletico Mineiro and due to a conflict of interest and a breach of contract, the deal was canceled less than a year after it was signed. 

10. He is an Entrepreneur With His Brand of Condoms 

Ronaldinho joined forces with the United Nations to educate the public about AIDS in 2011. Two years later, he released his brand of club-themed condoms called ‘Sex Free’.