Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, commonly known as Ronaldinho Gaúcho or simply Ronaldinho, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or winger. Widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, he won two FIFA World Player of the Year awards and a Ballon d'Or. He is the only player to have won a World Cup, a Copa América, a Confederations Cup, a Liga of Champions, a Copa Libertadores and a Ballon d'Or. Ronaldinho, a global icon of this sport, was known for his technical skills, creativity, dribbling ability and precision in free kicks, his use of tricks, feints, no-look passes and jump shots, as well as his ability to score and create. goals, all notable characteristics of his youth playing futsal. He is known by the nickname "O Bruxo" ("The Magician").

Early and personal life

Ronaldo de Assis Moreira was born on 21 March 1980 in the city of Porto Alegre, the state capital of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. His mother, Miguelina Elói Assis dos Santos, was a salesperson who studied to become a nurse. His father, João de Assis Moreira, was a shipyard worker and a footballer for the local club Esporte Clube Cruzeiro (not to be confused with the larger Cruzeiro Esporte Clube). After Ronaldo's older brother Roberto signed with Grêmio, the family moved to a home in the more affluent Guarujá section of Porto Alegre, which was a gift from Grêmio to convince Roberto to stay at the club. Still, Roberto's career was ultimately cut short by injury. It was in their new home where his father hit his head and drowned in the swimming pool when Ronaldo was eight. Roberto has acted as his manager, while his sister Deisi has worked as his press coordinator.

Outside football

Ronaldinho has had endorsements with many companies, including Nike, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, EA Sports and Danone. One of the world's highest paid players, in 2006 he earned over $19 million from endorsements. Having endorsed Pepsi for much of his career and appeared in commercials with David Beckham, Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho signed a deal with Coca-Cola in 2011, however this was terminated in July 2012 after he was caught drinking Pepsi in a news conference.

Ronaldinho Gaúcho (comic strip)

Ronaldinho Gaúcho is a Brazilian celebrity comic strip by Mauricio de Sousa, syndicated by Atlantic Syndication. It features a fictionalised version of the Ronaldinho as a child. The strip was created in 2006, when the 2006 FIFA World Cup was taking place in Germany. It ran until 2015.

It was adapted into an animated television series as Ronaldinho Gaúcho's Team, produced by Italian studio GIG Italy Entertainment, with the coproduction of MSP (Mauricio de Sousa Produções).

Legal troubles

In July 2019, 57 properties belonging to Ronaldinho along with his Brazilian and Spanish passports were confiscated because of unpaid taxes and fines. The judge ultimately decided to reduce the fine from R$8.5 million to R$6 million for building a fishing platform on Guaíba River in a 'heritage-protected' area. Ronaldinho and his brother would ultimately fail to pay the fines within the allotted time and have their passports suspended.