Ronaldinho  The Brazilian Soccer God Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho, the great Brazilian soccer player, was born on March 21, 1980 in the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre. His birth name is Ronaldo de Assis Moreira. His nickname, Ronaldinho Gaucho, comes from the fact that he is a citizen of Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul region and is also a way of distinguishing him from another famous Brazilian soccer player, Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima. Ronaldinho means "little Ronaldo" in Portuguese.

The soccer world first took notice of Ronaldinho's talent when he was only 13, after he scored 23 goals in a game against another local youth team. Ronaldinho continued to impress with his soccer prowess throughout his youth, most notably at the Egypt Under-17 World Championship. He first began to play professional soccer in 1999 for the Brazilian National Team, which won the World Cup in 2002. Starting in 2001, Ronaldinho also played soccer for Paris Saint-Germain, where he gained a reputation for participating in an active night life.  In 2003, Ronaldinho left France to play for Barcelona. He helped Barcelona place second in La Liga in 2004, leading the team to the La Liga title a year later.

Among the many awards Ronaldinho has won are FIFA World Player of the Year (2004 and 2005) and European Footballer of the Year (2005). He has also been named the Best Striker in the UEFA Champions League and was named to the UEFA team for the third time in 2006.

Many people consider Ronaldinho to be the best soccer player in the world today. In 2005, he signed an 85-million Euro contract that will keep him playing for Barcelona until 2010.