A Biography Of Ronaldinho, Brazil's Star Striker
Ronaldinho, Brazil's most famous player, was born Ronaldo de Assis Moreira on March 21st, 1980. "Ronaldinho" is a nickname that means "little Ronaldo" that was given to Ronaldinho when another of Brazil's great soccer players, whose name is also Ronaldo, was rising through the ranks. He is often known as Ronaldo Gaucho as well, because "Gaucho" is a nickname given to those who hail from the Rio Grande do Sul area.
Ronaldinho started out playing on the beaches of Brazil. At first, Ronadinho played football variations like beach football and futsal, later switching to regular football. Local fans noticed him immediately because of his knack for making so many goals against opposing teams.
He joined a junior league and it was the beginning of everything for Ronaldinho. Brazil's team won in the under-17 championship against Egypt, and the win was largely due to Ronaldinho's many goals.
Ronadinho was scouted by Gremio, which signed him to a 2-year contract. In 1999, his first season as a professional footballer, Ronaldinho scored 15 goals out of 14 games, including the crushing defeat of Venezuela. At this point, for Ronaldinho, Brazil began to take notice of one of its greatest star players.
But, for Ronaldinho, Brazil was too small. He wanted to play in the European leagues, lie so many great Brazilian footballers before him. When his contract with Gremio ended in 2001, European soccer teams were falling all over themselves to sign him. His day had come.
Ronaldinho went with Paris St. Germain and played for France. After a short pause from the game due to contractual problems, Ronaldinho was back, scoring for France. He was named France's player of the year in 2002 due in part to his 6 goals in 7 games of that season.
During the 2002 World Cup, there was one particular goal Ronaldinho made that will go down in history. In the game of Brazil versus England, Ronaldinho made a miraculous 35-meter free kick. No one who saw that game will ever forget it!
Ronaldinho became famous not just because of his almost supernatural control of the ball and his uncanny ability to out-score everyone else, but also because of his flashy playing and distinctive appearance. He is a charismatic player that even those uninterested in football know.
In 2003, Ronaldinho was tired of playing for France. There were personality conflicts with manager Luis Fernandez and other troubles, so Ronaldinho went looking for a new team. Once again, every team in the world offered him ridiculous contracts, hoping to get the star-hitter on their team. The winner was Barcelona. He still plays for Barcelona today.
Ronaldinho continues getting awards and praise. FIFA named him one of the 11 best footballers, chosen by Brazilian football legend Pele. He has received the FIFA World Player of the Year award twice, in 2004 and 2005. He was also named European Footballer of the Year in 2005.
Ronaldinho continues to amaze everyone with his amazing soccer skills. He will surely go on to join the pantheon of great Brazilian soccer players.
Sources
Biogs.com
http://www.biogs.com/famous/ronaldinho.htmlRonaldhino Fan Page
http://www.popstarsplus.com/sports_ronaldinho.htmFrom Ronaldinho Brazil back to Travel Brazil Guide
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