Ronaldinho

Names of Brazilian soccer stars can be confusing. Because the Portuguese naming tradition uses four names, players are typically given nicknames or go by their first name. That’s why there are three Freds who have played abroad. But one name may sound immediately familiar and yet strangely alien at the same time — Ronaldão. 

The five years Ronaldinho spent at FC Barcelona were undoubtedly the pinnacle of his career. That’s where he led his club to the UEFA Champions League title and was twice named the FIFA World Player of the Year. Although he spent two seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, a single UEFA Intertoto Cup is the only piece of hardware he earned with the Parisian side, perhaps going someway towards explaining why his highlight reel in France is hugely under appreciated. 

There’s no question that Ronaldinho was at the height of his powers between 2002 and 2007, when he was twice named FIFA World Player of the Year and helped Brazil to the World Cup (’02) and Barcelona to the Champions League (’06). However, given how quickly his star faded after leaving Barca in 2008, you could say that the Brazilian attacker’s prime was a 10-year period beginning with his meteoric rise in 1999. 

Ronaldinho retired this week. Maybe you’ve heard. We’ve mentioned it a few times. But it’s worth revisiting once more because the Brazilian was one of the most creative footballers to ever play the game. He was, in essence, the Nintendo Labo of soccer.