I was talking recently to an American who got into soccer as a result of watching Ronaldinho at his extraordinary best -- which seems a long time ago. Now he is not sure whether to feel angry with the player for spending so long betraying his own almost unparalleled talent, or grateful that for a few years Ronaldinho hit a peak of performance that few have ever matched.
RIO DE JANEIRO -- I took a wander from my apartment here on Monday and one of the first people I saw was Ronaldinho, sitting enjoying a leisurely beer in a temporary break from the revelries of Carnaval. Seated to his right was another Ronaldinho, doing the same thing. On his left, yet another ...
In Rio Flamengo, fans came out by the thousands to give a euphoric welcome to new signing Ronaldinho. Some pundits have tried to pour water into their beer -- such as former top class referee Jose Roberto Wright, who argued in the sports daily Lance! that Flamengo had made a bad deal.
Two-time world footballer of the year Ronaldinho has joined Flamengo on a four-year contract, the Brazilian club confirmed on Tuesday.
Former world player of the year Ronaldinho will return home to Brazil, according to his Italian club AC Milan.
Mid-table English Premier League side Blackburn Rovers want to sign former world player of the year Ronaldinho and persuade football icon David Beckham to come to them on loan from Los Angeles Galaxy.
The ball looked real. The shot looked real. Even the fear in the eyes of the hapless assistant, standing in front of one of the most powerful right arms in the history of tennis, looked real.
updated: Thu Sep 09 2010 10:09:00
CNN World Sport takes a look at some of the greatest viral videos.
Ronaldinho's participation in this summer's World Cup finals now appears in serious doubt after the AC Milan playmaker was not named in Brazil coach Carlos Dunga's 22-man squad for next month's friendly international against Ireland in London.
In a month's time comes the lone FIFA date for international fixtures before the end of the European season -- the only time teams preparing for the World Cup have the opportunity to be at full strength, with all their players available.
Nine-man Inter Milan surged nine points clear of city rivals AC Milan at the top of Serie A with a dramatic 2-0 win in the San Siro on Sunday night.
Ronaldinho plundered a hat-trick as AC Milan crushed 10-man Siena 4-0 on Sunday to close the gap on Serie A leaders Inter Milan to just six points and with the Milan derby to come next week.
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, better known as Ronaldinho, is World Soccer's Player of the Decade. Based on the votes cast by readers in the 10 annual votes between 2000 and '09, the Brazilian -- who was our World Player of the Year in '04 and '05 -- is the outstanding performer of the past 10 years.
Is Ronaldinho finally about to deliver? When the Brazilian ace was formally "presented" to the AC Milan faithful last year, he was greeted at the San Siro like some sort of all-conquering hero, wooed by pulsating samba rhythms, a firework display and a 30,000-strong crowd.
Sampdoria lost ground on Inter Milan at the top of Serie A on Sunday when they were held to a 1-1 draw at Lazio in a game where both teams finished with 10 men.
So Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Ballon d'Or as European Footballer of the Year (though, in fact, it's a bit of a misnomer: Any professional in the world is now eligible). And, barring an Act of God, he'll win the FIFA World Player Award as well.
Italian champions Inter Milan stretched their lead in Serie A after a 2-1 win over fellow title contenders Napoli combined with a 3-1 defeat for city rivals AC Milan at Palermo in Sunday's late game.
AC Milan star Ronaldinho has again been left out of Brazil's squad for a friendly match against Portugal.
If you want to make friends and influence people at your new club, then scoring the only goal in the big local derby is a pretty good start.
Ronaldinho celebrated his first league start for Milan by scoring the only goal of the game to give the Rossoneri a 1-0 derby win over Inter and send the Serie A champions crashing to their first defeat of the season.
If there's a new feeling of buzz around the Italian Serie A this season, much of it comes down to two men who are walking, talking hype machines: Ronaldinho and José Mourinho.
My last column on the valuations of Ronaldinho and Cristiano Ronaldo seemed to get a lot of people's panties in a twist. I got twice the usual haul of correspondence, some of it articulate, some of it abusive, some of it downright bizarre.
Many years ago, I was taught about the invisible hand and free markets and how, by definition, something was worth whatever someone was willing to pay for it. Of course, I've since learned that it's all a crock of bull. Some markets may work that way, but in fact, most of them don't.
Thousands of fans turned up at the San Siro as AC Milan unveiled new signing Ronaldinho, following the completion of his 21 million euros ($33.6 million) move from Barcelona.
Last week, when I heard the news that Ronaldinho had reportedly rejected a massive offer from to join the Los Angeles Galaxy, I nearly choked on my açaí juice. One thought flashed in my head: The odds Ronaldinho is coming to MLS this year are about as good as the odds that Gisele Bündchen will knock on my front door wearing a 1996 Tampa Bay Mutiny No. 15 jersey -- and nothing else.
Manchester City have sent representatives to Brazil in the hope of persuading Ronaldinho to sign for them.
How do you create something that people want to spend more time with, and also want their groups of friends or social community to spend more time with?
Barcelona are ready for twice world player of the year Ronaldinho to move on, said club president Joan Laporta.
Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard has confirmed that he expects AC Milan target Ronaldinho to leave the Nou Camp at the end of this season.
Ronaldinho is likely to play for AC Milan next season, according to the Italian club and the player's agent.
Had the news broken a week earlier, it is fair to assume that news of Manchester City's interest in Ronaldinho would have been dismissed by most football fans as a rather too obvious April Fool's Day prank.
Prepare for sightings of Roberto de Assis, the brother and agent of Ronaldinho, all over Europe in the coming weeks.
Ronaldinho's agent has played down growing speculation that the Brazil forward will be leaving Barcelona at the end of this season.
Barcelona's Brazilian forward Ronaldinho will miss most of the rest of the season after damaging a muscle in his right leg during training on Friday.
Real Madrid saw their Spanish title lead over Barcelona cut to five points after a shock 2-1 Primera Liga defeat away to Real Betis.
Barcelona forward Ronaldinho has returned to training after a month on the sidelines due to injury.
Todos los jugadores profesionales, salvo los porteros, marcan un gran gol a lo largo de sus carreras. Los grandes delanteros, si tienen suerte, marcarán un gol que pase a la historia. La diferencia entre Leo Messi y los demás es que tiene toda su carrera por delante, pero ya ha marcado tres en 2007 que perdurarán como obras de arte y serán admirados en los museos del fútbol, como hoy admiramos a Leonardo da Vinci, de aquí a quinientos años.
Ronaldinho will not be leaving the Nou Camp during the January transfer window, Barcelona supremo Joan Laporta has insisted.
Chelsea coach Henk Ten Cate has dismissed claims that he is trying to bring Brazil star Ronaldinho to the English club.
Ronaldinho scored two trademark free-kicks as Barcelona beat Real Betis 3-0 to move within a point of leaders Real Madrid at the top of the Primera Liga table.
Ronaldinho has been recalled to the Barcelona squad for Tuesday's Champions League match against Rangers in Glasgow.
Qualifying for the World Cup is no cakewalk, even for Brazil. Luiz Felipe Scolari's side struggled to make it to Japan and South Korea in 2002 -- indeed, without a couple of strokes being pulled, Brazil may well have missed out entirely on the competition it ended up winning.
OK kids, let's get this over with -- we're all looking ahead to the loads of international action this weekend. The bell may be tolling for England as far as qualification for Euro 2008, and Spain and the Netherlands face uphill battles.
If any doubts over Ronaldinho's commitment to Barcelona still lingered, they ought to have been put to rest in the past few days.
Barcelona's Brazil forward Ronaldinho was granted dual nationality by Spain on Monday, the Primera Liga club said.
Ronaldinho, starting as a substitute after declining to take part in last month's Copa America, came off the bench to score the second goal in Brazil's 2-0 friendly win over Algeria on Wednesday.
Ronaldinho scored twice as Barcelona wrapped up their Scottish pre-season tour with a convincing 3-1 win over Hearts before a record 57,857 home crowd on Saturday.
Barcelona star Ronaldinho on Tuesday received a one-match suspension from the Spanish league's competition commission for the red card he received after kicking out at an opponent in Saturday's win over Getafe.
World Sport reporter Pedro Pinto reflects on Barcelona's rise and fall, following their shock cup defeat by Getafe.
Barcelona went three points clear at the top of the Primera Liga with a 2-1 home win over Deportivo la Coruna.
Manchester United are the richest team in world football and Ronaldinho the highest-earning player, according to a survey by Forbes magazine.
Twice World Player of the Year Ronaldinho has been confirmed in a Europe squad to play Manchester United in a jubilee charity match on March 13.
BARCELONA, Spain -- It took an epic journey, nearly 5,500 miles from Las Vegas to New York City to Barcelona, to realize exactly what the New York Yankees mean to the United States.
Barcelona players have defended team mate Ronaldinho over accusations that the Brazilian forward is overweight and out of shape.
Barcelona forward Ronaldinho recaptured his form on Sunday when he struck twice to lead his side to a 2-0 win at home to Racing Santander that put them three points clear at the top of the Primera Liga.
Ronaldinho continued his superb run of recent form when he earned Barcelona a 1-0 victory over struggling Real Sociedad at the Nou Camp on Saturday with his 11th league goal of the season.
Holders Barcelona turned on the style to secure their place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a classy 2-0 victory over Werder Bremen in their final Group A match at the Nou Camp on Tuesday.
Spanish and European champions Barcelona and their leading players Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o swept the board in the annual awards announced by the professional players union FIFPro on Monday.
Ronaldinho struck twice as he steered Barcelona to a flattering 3-0 win over Recreativo Huelva at the Nou Camp in the Primera Liga on Saturday.
Barcelona moved three points clear at the top of the Primera Liga after a Ronaldinho double and virtuoso solo goal from Lionel Messi earned a 3-1 home win against high-flying Sevilla.
Ronaldinho will miss Barcelona's opening game of the Primera Liga season at Celta Vigo on Monday after being injured during the 3-0 European Super Cup defeat by Sevilla on Friday.
Paris was awash with English and Spanish football fans on Wednesday, all heading for the Stade de France for one of the most eagerly-anticipated Champions League finals in years.
Throughout the World Cup, CNN is compiling its own "Dream Team" of the greatest-ever players who have competed in the tournament.
Ludovic Giuly, who tasted defeat in the 2003 Champions League final with Monaco, gave Barcelona a great chance of reaching this year's tournament climax by scoring their goal in a priceless 1-0 semifinal first leg victory away to AC Milan.
Ronaldinho made amends for missing a penalty to score the first goal as Barcelona beat Benfica 2-0 in their Champions League quarterfinal second leg in the Nou Camp on Wednesday.
World and European player of the year Ronaldinho says no amount of money would tempt him away from Champions League quarterfinalists Barcelona.
Barcelona forward Ronaldinho will miss Brazil's friendly against Russia on Wednesday because of an ankle injury.
Barcelona playmaker Ronaldinho said if team mate Samuel Eto'o had walked off the pitch after being racially abused at Real Zaragoza on Saturday, he would have gone too.
Brazil and Barcelona star Ronaldinho was named World Player of the Year for the second straight year by soccer's governing body FIFA on Monday.
Ronaldinho produced another dazzling piece of skill to give Barcelona a 2-1 league win at home to Sevilla.
Barcelona's Ronaldinho, team-mate Samuel Eto'o and Chelsea's Frank Lampard were shortlisted for FIFA's World Player of the Year award on Wednesday.
Ronaldinho completed a hat-trick of awards when he was named European Footballer of the Year in Paris on Monday ahead of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.
Ronaldinho turned in another brilliant display when he led Barcelona to a 3-1 win over Werder Bremen at the Nou Camp to clinch top spot in Champions League Group C.
Ronaldinho led Barcelona to a scintillating 4-1 win over Udinese with a stunning hat-trick in his side's Champions League Group C match at the Nou Camp on Tuesday.
Barcelona are within touching distance of their first league title in six years after a storming 2-0 victory over last season's champions Valencia at the Mestalla on Sunday.
French fraud squad detectives are investigating how television channel Canal Plus put 15 million euros ($19.97 million) into the Swiss bank account of Brazil star Ronaldinho.
World Player of the Year Ronaldinho turned on the style as his side beat Andriy Shevchenko's XI 6-3 on Tuesday in a tsunami relief benefit match expected to raise $10.38 million.
World player of the year Ronaldinho gave a dazzling display as Brazil thrashed minnows Hong Kong 7-1 in a one-sided friendly on Wednesday.
Barcelona and Brazil star Ronaldinho was crowned FIFA World Footballer of the Year on Monday at a gala evening at the Zurich opera house.
Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko of AC Milan, Thierry Henry of Arsenal and Barcelona's Ronaldinho are finalists for FIFA's 2004 World Player of the Year award.
Ronaldinho's brilliant late strike to give Barcelona a 2-1 win over AC Milan has given the Catalan giants real hope that they can lift the Champions League for a second time.
A brilliant late strike from Ronaldinho gave dominant Barcelona a 2-1 win over AC Milan in an epic Champions League contest at the Nou Camp.
Brazilian World Cup winning striker Ronaldinho has been given a major contract improvement by Spanish league runners-up Barcelona, the club has confirmed.
Barcelona stepped up the pressure on Real Madrid in the race for the runners-up place in the Primera Liga after they claimed a 1-0 win at home to Racing Santander.
Ronaldinho scored a 31st minute goal but was later sent off as Barcelona won 3-1 at lowly Valladolid.
Brazilian forward Ronaldinho may have scored in the weekend win at Deportivo, but the Barcelona forward was sadly off target when filming a TV advert in an ancient cathedral.
Loading weather data ...
© 2013 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
|