Why Ronaldinho Is One Of The Greatest Of All Time! 🇧🇷

Look how he teaches you to score when you have a sea of players swarming you. The stepover, the no-look passes, the cheeky grin. His name is Ronaldo Diasis Morena, or as we know him, Ronaldinho. Ronaldinho was born on the 21st of March 1980 in the city of Porto Alegre and after impressing his native Brazil, Europe was calling in 2001. And that call took Ronaldinho to Paris. Are you even shocked when I tell you that he became an instant fan favourite? Stadiums filled, cameras followed, Paris were buzzing and the club was suddenly at the centre of it. It was then when Europe was introduced to Ronaldinho. His European debut came in the UEFA Cup against Rapid Bucharesti in September 2001. But it was against another Rapid a month later where Ronaldinho opened his European account. Two goals in a 4-0 win over Rapid Vienna. The solo runs, the shimmies, a legend was being formed. Paris was the bridge from Brazilian wonder kid to global superstar. Real Madrid wanted him. Manchester United pushed hard. Barcelona won the race. By the way, we simply must pause it there for a special dedication to Ronaldinho's famous lids. Yes. We had the natural voluminous curls. We had the skinhead look. We had the ponytail. And being shimmied by a guy with a ponytail is crazy man. His hair whipping you in the face as you drop to the ground. Can't be having that. The man was iconic from top to bottom and soon to be a global icon. Can I take this off now? If you think it was just club form that had Europe's powerhouses drooling, World Cup 2002. If you didn't know Ronaldinho before, you did now. Especially you, England fans. Oh, here we go. He didn't mean it, it was a cross crowd. He meant that. That Brazil team captured football at its most beautiful. Filled with players who became footballing legends. I mean, where do I even start? You had Roberto Pan, Cafu, Kaká, Rivaldo and R9, World Cup champions. And you cannot tell me Brazil wasn't your second team every four years. Joao Laporta promised a big signing. Beckham or Henry were rumoured. But in Summer 2003, it wasn't David, it wasn't Thierry, it was Ronny. Magic met motion. Fans from all sides couldn't wait to watch him. I need you to realise that from 2003 to 2006, Ronaldinho in Barcelona colours was something football had never seen before. 24th September 2003, Ronaldinho makes his UEFA Cup debut versus FK Matador Pucho. 9-1 they won on aggregate. Ronny bags a hatty and two assists. Light work. Do you think the Barca fans were still wishing they signed David and Thierry? Ronny signed, stamped, delivered. And that gravitational pull didn't disappear on their biggest club stage of them all. The UEFA Champions League. This is where legends are measured. An assist on his UCL debut. Followed by two goals in the group stage. With one being a last-minute winner against Milan. The Milan. Nesta turned. Gattuso brushed aside. These are the kind of players you try and survive against, not finish. Ronaldinho wasn't shining against nobodies. He was bending history's toughest defenders to his will. Against Chelsea's greatest ever keeper and one of football's, Ronaldinho. He danced. Look how he teaches you to score when you have a sea of players swarming you. Have you guys ever heard about Jinga? The swaying move from Capoeira. A very traditional Brazilian dance. By 05, there was no longer a debate. Ballon d'Or winner. Even without a Champions League title to his name. Do you know how crazy that is? That's unheard of in today's football. No European crown, no Ballon d'Or. Still, there was only one thing left to conquer. The hunt was on. In 06, Ronaldinho became the problem every team had to solve. And this time, he took his revenge on Chelsea. Pause it right there. You see this? This is criminal. This is John Terry. One of the world's greatest ever defenders falling into Ricardo Carvalho. Another great defender. Oh my days. Bright lights of the Stade de France. The world's greatest Sean. Vision for Eto'o. Red for Lehmann. Blame the architect. 17th of May, 2006. Ronaldinho lifted the Champions League. Ending a 14-year wait for Barcelona. Football, he completed it. It was very important for the culés. We were in a very difficult moment. Four years without winning anything. And he arrived with his smile, his quality, his way of playing. His way of understanding life. Taking away the weight of everything. For me, he is one of the most important players in the history of Barcelona. Ronaldinho's game, learned in freedom, now crowned at the top. And his style, once improvised, now imitated worldwide. Do you remember this free kick against Werder Bremen? While defenders followed habit, he followed creativity. Have you ever seen anyone else do this before Ronaldinho? Or his version of a skill he turned into a signature? A move learned by generations. The Elastico. If so, let me know in the comments. You see, with Ronaldinho, moments never ended in applause. They became culture. Italy was the next destination. Number 80. Ronaldinho swaps Blaugrana for Rossoneri. And the magic of course followed him. In his first European start for his new side against FC Zurich, one assist, the only goal, the tie settled. His Champions League debut for the Rossoneri came a year later, against FC Zurich. But his first goal, that came against far sweeter opposition. His genius wasn't enough to garner a deeper run in the competition. And as his time at Milan came to an end, the European chapter closed too. His final UEFA farewell, at home to Ajax. Ronaldinho in the Champions League, 47 appearances, 18 goals and 13 assists. One title to his name. When he retired in 2018, it hit us. The smile was gone, the show was over. Childhood efficiently ended. If he isn't one of the football players that impacted your lives, then what football have you been watching? You didn't need to love football to love him. The hair, the grin, the samba, the soul. Ronaldinho didn't just play the game, he played with it. He teased it. He turned stadiums into playgrounds and defenders into spectators. Every pass carried joy, every dribble felt illegal. Every moment reminded us why we fell in love in the first place. He made football smile. And even now, years later, wear a Ronaldinho shirt anywhere in the world and you're met with a nod, a grin, respect. Legends don't retire. They live on in memories, clips, stories and children trying the same move in the park. Ronaldinho, magical. I think what he did on the pitch with the ball was phenomenal. The truth? Admiration. Every game he did different things. We always waited for the day of the Barça game to see what Ronaldinho was going to do in this game. Ronaldinho is not a moment in football history. He's a feeling, a language spoken without words. A reminder that the game is meant to be free. Obrigado, magician.