Ronaldo de Assís Moreira ‘Ronaldinho’
The Brazilian striker (Porto Alegre,1980) joined the Club in 2003 and changed its history forever. In his five seasons at the club he became one its greatest ever footballers
Ronaldinho came to Barcelona in the summer of 2003 to head the new club project which began with Frank Rijkaard as manager. The man who was to wear the number 10 shirt for Barça for five seasons immediately thrilled fans with his imaginative play which led to moves that very few footballers could aspire to. On 3 September 2003, on his league debut at Camp Nou, he scored a tremendous goal against Sevilla, cutting in from the wing and cracking in an unstoppable shot off the underside of the crossbar.
During his time at Barça he scored 94 goals in competitive matches even though he also stood out as a great creator of goals. With him leading the team on the pitch, Barça experienced some of the best times in its history, winning two back-to-back League titles and above all the Champions League in an unforgettable final on 17 May 2006 in Paris.
Also memorable was the standing ovation he received at Santiago Bernabéu after scoring two magnificent goals in the 3-0 win against Real Madrid on 19 November 2005. While at Barça he also won top international awards such as the FIFA World Player (2004 and 2005) and the Ballon d'Or (2005).