History of Ronaldinho

Ronaldo de Assis Moreira -- or Ronaldinho Gaucho to nickname-happy Brazilians -- was born on March 21, 1980 in the southern city of Porto Alegre. Like most Brazilian soccer prodigies, he came from a poor family and was raised in the heart of the dirt road-laced settlements known as favelas. But his family loved the sport and found joy in playing it. Ronaldinho's father, Joao da Silva Moreira, played in an amateur club when he wasn't working as a welder or guarding the Gremio soccer stadium. Even though it was Ronaldinho's older brother Roberto who was a rising star in the Gremio club, Joao saw in young Ronaldinho a true champion. The way the boy dribbled a ball around the furniture at home was unbelievable. Enter Wanderley Luxemburgo, the head coach of the national team going to the 1999 Copa America in Paraguay. Coming in at the end of a match against Venezuela, Ronaldinho scored a goal so perfect, it belonged in the Louvre.

The following day, the Brazilian press was comparing him to the legendary Pele. Enter Wanderley Luxemburgo, the head coach of the national team going to the 1999 Copa America in Paraguay. Coming in at the end of a match against Venezuela, Ronaldinho scored a goal so perfect, it belonged in the Louvre. The following day, the Brazilian press was comparing him to the legendary Pele.

A few months passed and Europe was starting to realize Ronaldinho's value. Leeds offered the staggering sum of close to 75 million euros -- about $96 million -- but Gremio refused, keeping the star for the 2000 season. But Ronaldinho was hungry for the bigger pitches, and eventually found himself in the starting team of Paris Saint-Germain and in the hearts of French fans. Many say his seasons there were lukewarm, with a low goal count (eight in 27 matches in his second year). 

2002 was the year of the "Ro"s. In the World Cup co-hosted by Korea and Japan, it was the deadly trio of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Roberto Carlos that made nations shiver. But it was Ronaldinho who really blew the world away in a spectacular free kick against England. The curve of the ball seemed to defy physics and glided past David Seaman's fingers. Ronaldinho's art helped capture Brazil's world victory. Ronaldinho has scored 27 goals in 57 games for the five-time world champion team.

But a conflict with PSG coach Luis Fernandez apparently led Ronaldinho to look elsewhere. He eyed the colossal Manchester United, who was looking for a new hotshot to replace David Beckham. But it was Barcelona that won him in July 2003, offering about 27 million euros (approximately $31 million) for a five-year contract. Ronaldinho followed in the footsteps of other Brazilian greats who climbed to glory in Camp Nou, like Evaristo de Macedo, Ronaldo, Romario, and Rivaldo.

Welcomed as a star, Ronaldinho didn't disappoint. In his first season, he took Barca to second place in the Spanish league. Graceful and swift, he marvels fans as he "sambas" past every defender and launches the ball into the net. He did this 22 times in his first season

In fact, he was so refined that 157 national team coaches and 145 national team captains voted him the FIFA World Footballer of the Year in 2004, beating out Thierry Henry of Arsenal and Andrei Shevchenko of AC Milan. Like his heroes before him, Ronaldinho took the prize while playing for Barca. He recently signed an improvement contract, increasing his buy-out clause to a reputed 150 million euros. The boy will no doubt break more records.

Ronaldinho lives in Barcelona, and when asked if he has a girlfriend during a press conference, he took out a soccer ball and said, "This is her."