Background and career
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (born 21 March 1980), commonly known as Ronaldinho Gaúcho or simply Ronaldinho, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or left winger for Serie C side Ravenna. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he is the only player in history to have won all of the following: a FIFA World Cup, a Copa América, a FIFA Confederations Cup, a UEFA Champions League, a Copa Libertadores and a Ballon d'Or. Nicknamed "O Bruxo" ("The Wizard"), Ronaldinho was renowned for his dribbling abilities, free-kick accuracy, his use of tricks, feints, and passing, as well as his ability to score and create goals.
Ronaldinho made his professional debut for Grêmio in 1998. At age 20, he transferred to Paris Saint-Germain, where he became a prominent member of the squad and appeared in the 2003 Coupe de France final. In 2003, he signed with Barcelona, winning his first FIFA World Player of the Year award during the club's 2004–05 La Liga championship campaign. The following season, he was integral to Barcelona achieving a double of the La Liga and UEFA Champions League titles. His two goals in a 3–0 El Clásico victory against Real Madrid made him the first Barcelona player since Diego Maradona (1983) to receive a standing ovation at the Bernabéu. For his performances during this period, he received the 2005 Ballon d'Or and a second consecutive FIFA World Player of the Year award. Observers and analysts frequently credit his tenure with initiating a period of competitive resurgence for Barcelona.
During the 2006–07 season, Ronaldinho helped Barcelona secure the Supercopa de España, though the team underperformed overall by missing out on the league title and suffering an early European exit. Following a 2007–08 season in which Barcelona failed to win any major trophies, Ronaldinho concluded his tenure with the club and transferred to AC Milan. In his second season, Ronaldinho recorded a league-high 15 assists in Serie A, contributing effectively before the club secured the 2010–11 Serie A championship title. During his time at Milan, World Soccer voted him World Player of the Decade 2000s, ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. He subsequently returned to Brazil to join Flamengo in 2011, moving to Atlético Mineiro a year later, where he won the 2013 Copa Libertadores. He later moved to Mexico to feature for Querétaro before returning home for a stint with Fluminense in 2015. In 2026, he returned to professional football, signing as a player and minority shareholder for the Italian club Ravenna.
In his international career with Brazil, Ronaldinho earned 97 caps, scored 33 goals, and represented them in two FIFA World Cups. After debuting with a 1999 Copa América title, Ronaldinho became a core part of Brazil's 2002 FIFA World Cup victory. Positioned alongside Ronaldo and Rivaldo in the team's attacking trio, his performances earned him a spot in the World Cup All-Star Team. He later captained Brazil to the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup title, where he was named Man of the Match in the final, and led the Olympic squad to a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He shares the record for the most goals in FIFA Confederations Cup history with Mexican striker Cuauhtémoc Blanco, with both having scored nine goals. Ronaldinho was included in the UEFA Team of the Year and the FIFA World XI three times each, and was named UEFA Club Footballer of the Year for the 2005–06 season and South American Footballer of the Year in 2013; in 2004, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.
During the height of his career, Ronaldinho became the world's highest-paid footballer through commercial endorsements, surpassing David Beckham in 2006. He secured the same top spot in 2007, earning an estimated $29.5 million (€23.5 million) annually. He signed a long-term contract with the sportswear company Nike, becoming a primary figure in its global "Jogo Bonito" campaign. As part of this partnership, he featured in a 2005 advertisement that became the first video to reach one million views on YouTube. He also served as the primary global cover athlete for EA Sports' FIFA video game series, appearing on nine total covers between 2003 and 2009, including the Italian edition of FIFA 10.
How Ronaldinho makes money
One of the world's highest paid players, in 2006 he earned over $19 million from endorsements. On 24 August 2020, Ronaldinho and his brother were released from Paraguayan prison after their judge agreed to a plea deal with fines of US$90,000 and US$110,000 for the brothers, respectively.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
