Ronaldinho Gaúcho's journey from a football superstar to a Paraguayan prisoner

Ronaldinho Gaúcho has a legitimate claim to being one of the greatest footballers of all time, and easily one of the most skillful players to ever grace the pitch.  While effortless on the field, his career wasn't exactly always smooth sailing. Let's look at how Ronaldinho's career unfolded.

It was at this same club that he began his career, winning the under-17 championship in 1997. To this day, Ronaldinho is considered one of the greatest prospects the team ever produced.

In 1998, he debuted professionally in a Copa Libertadores game. That's when his undeniable talent began to draw the attention of international clubs.

In his debut for the Brazilian national team, Ronaldinho scored a great goal against Venezuela. In a show of skill, he flicked the ball over one defender, burst past another, and fired a shot past Renny Vega to score the fifth goal in what proved to be a fairly comprehensive 7-0 win on June 30, 1999.

Another brilliant participation took place in the final of the Campeonato Gaúcho, when Ronaldinho scored the winning goal against Internacional, giving Grêmio the title.

In 2001, Ronaldinho received a proposal from Paris Saint-Germain, but the hiring process led to legal problems and he had to wait long months to debut in the French side.

In Japan and South Korea hosted World Cup, he helped the Brazilian national team pick up their fifth world title, alongside Rivaldo and Ronaldo, under the command of Luiz Felipe Scolari.

After Ronaldinho's success at the FIFA World Cup, he caught the eye of several major clubs. By this time, the playmaker had already made it clear that he wanted to leave PSG, which further increased expectations about which offer he would finally accept.

After turning down a proposal from Manchester United, Ronaldinho Gaúcho was transferred to FC Barcelona for 21 million euros.

The years 2004 and 2005 saw Ronaldinho in peak career form. He starred in Barcelona's triumphs in the Championship and the Spanish Super Cup!

In addition, this form saw him receive the title of Best Player in the World by FIFA, twice consecutively, in 2004 and 2005.

He is the only footballer in history to win the UEFA Champions League, Copa Libertadores and FIFA World Cup, in addition to being the best player in the world, elected by FIFA.

In fact, Ronaldinho also won the Ballon d'Or in 2005 – one of the most prestigious awards in world sport!

In March 2006, Ronaldinho was ranked as the most valuable footballer on the planet, reaching an estimated value of 47 million euros.

After his spell at Barcelona, Dinho transferred to Milan, where he would once again dazzle with his skill and creative performances. He enjoyed a couple of good years there – and perhaps a few more off the pitch – before playing his last game for the Italian club, ending his journey through Europe in 2010.

Flamengo, a club from Rio, received Ronaldinho at the packed Gávea stadium, in January 2011. But, after a year and a half without any great success, he left Rio de Janeiro to go to Atlético Mineiro.

He arrived at Atlético-MG in June 2012 and became an idol for the Alvinegra fans. He won a Campeonato Mineiro (2013), a Copa Libertadores da América (2013) and a Recopa Sudamericana (2014).

By this stage, Ronaldinho was already going through a professional decline. During his time at Milan, Dinho had started developing a reputation for a hard-partying lifestyle, which only carried on once he got back to Brazil.

Before retiring, he also played for Querétaro Fútbol Club, a team from Mexico, and for Fluminense.

In 2015, the player, his brother, Roberto de Assis Moreira, and the company Reno Construções e Incorporações were convicted of environmental damage. The Justice of Rio Grande do Sul decreed that they would have to pay BRL 800,000 ($160,000 US, £132,000) in damages, according to Globo.

In 2020, Ronaldinho became a defendant in a collective civil action that demanded 300 million BRL ($57.8m US) for financial and moral damage.

According to Valor Investe magazine, the 18K Ronaldinho group promised yields of 2% per day on cryptocurrency applications, but its investors had their funds blocked.

This all came to a head in March of the same year, when he and his brother were arrested in Paraguay after entering the country with forged passports. They spent about 32 days in jail and then served house arrest for almost five months in a hotel in Asuncion.

According to the Deutsche Welle newspaper, both Ronaldinho and his brother had to pay fines in the form of "social reparation", and cover the costs of the trial. Ronaldinho's defense has maintained that the former footballer did not know that his passport was forged.

In February 2023, Ronaldinho participated in the 8th round of the Kings League Tournament, at the CUPRA Arena Stadium, in Barcelona.