Ronaldo de Assís Moreira, commonly known as Ronaldinho (born March 21 1980 in Porto Alegre), is a football player from Brazil. He became a naturalized Spanish citizen in January 2007. blank">Ronaldinho Becoming the Face of Soccer, Jack Bell, nytimes.com, 26 March, 2007, accessed 26 March, 2007.
Ronaldinho ( ), meaning "little Ronaldo", is better known in Brazil by the nickname Ronaldinho _Gaúcho, in order to distinguish him from Ronaldo (already called Ronaldinho in Brazil). However, upon Ronaldo's move to Europe, he began to be known simply as 'Ronaldo', thereby allowing Ronaldinho to drop Gaúcho and remain simply as 'Ronaldinho'.
Among his many achievements and accolades, Ronaldinho has been awarded the FIFA World Player of the Year award twice (2004, 2005), as well as the European Footballer of the Year award and the FIFPro World Player of the Year award twice (2005, 2006). He has downplayed suggestions that he is the best footballer in the world, telling FourFourTwo magazine, "I don't even feel I'm the best at Barça."
Currently, he plays for FC Barcelona with a contract ending in 2010.
