Ronaldinho, << hoh nahl JEEN yoo or rah nahl DEEN yoh >> (1980-…), a Brazilian -born soccer star, became one of the greatest players of the early 2000’s. Soccer is called football in much of the world. In 2004 and 2005, Ronaldinho was named FIFA World Player of the Year. FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association (International Federation of Association Football). FIFA is soccer’s world governing body.
Ronaldinho, a left wing and attacking midfielder, starred for FC Barcelona in Spain ’s La Liga from 2003 to 2008. La Liga is the top league in Spanish soccer. The FC in the name of the team stands for football club. Ronaldinho helped Barcelona win the La Liga title in 2005 and 2006. In 2006, he also helped the team win the European Champions League title.
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira was born on March 21, 1980, in Pôrto Alegre , Brazil. He acquired the nickname Ronaldinho, which is Portuguese for “Little Ronaldo,” because he was often the smallest player in youth club competition.
Ronaldinho began playing organized soccer in 1987 and showed his skill as a scorer by the age of 13. He began his career in professional soccer with the Grêmio youth squad in Pôrto Alegre in 1998 and played there for three seasons. Ronaldinho joined Paris Saint-Germain in France in 2001. In 2003, he moved to FC Barcelona in Spain. In 2008, he joined AC Milan in Italy ’s top-rated Serie A league. AC stands for Associazione Calcio, meaning football association. From 2011 through 2015, Ronaldinho played for professional clubs in Brazil and Mexico .
In addition to excelling in league play, Ronaldinho starred in international competition. He was a member of the Brazilian national team in the 2000 and 2008 Summer Olympic Games and played on the 2002 Brazilian team that won the FIFA World Cup . He was captain of the Brazilian team that won the Confederations Cup international tournament in 2005.
