Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho, nicknamed "O Bruxo" (The Wizard), made the extraordinary look like play. Usually a classic number 10, he could also play wide or as a second striker. Frank Rijkaard at times used the right-footed Brazilian on Barcelona's left so he could cut inside, and after his debut friendly in 2003 said, "He has something special every time he touches the ball." The next three seasons brought two league titles, the 2006 Champions League, the 2005 Ballon d'Or and back-to-back World Player of the Year wins. Dribbling is what people remember first. Much of his close control came from futsal, and he added pace, acceleration and a bag of tricks: step overs, nutmegs, back-heels and the elastico he copied from his idol Rivelino. As a teenager at Grêmio he flicked the ball over Dunga's head in a state final. Slender as he looked, he was strong on the ball, and Zlatan Ibrahimović said: "He made his opponents look like children." He created as much as he scored. Rui Costa called him "a rare case of an assist man who can provide the ball from anywhere," and his no-look and scooped passes proved it. One scoop set up Xavi's winner at the Bernabéu in 2004; another laid on Lionel Messi's first goal for the club. In 2005–06 he led La Liga and the Champions League in assists, and Madrid's fans applauded him after he scored twice in a 3–0 win at their ground. His finishing matched the flair. He scored with either foot from inside or outside the box, and his free kicks could bend over the wall, skid under it or dip as a knuckleball. Against Chelsea in 2005 he shaped to shoot, then struck the ball past Petr Čech with almost no back-lift. In the 2002 World Cup quarter-final he wrong-footed Ashley Cole to set up Rivaldo's equaliser against England, then curled a 40-yard free kick past David Seaman, only to be sent off minutes later for a foul on Danny Mills. The real limit was dedication. At PSG, Luis Fernández complained he cared more about Paris nightlife than football, and after three committed seasons at Barcelona his training and fitness slipped until he was sold to AC Milan in 2008. Carlo Ancelotti called his physical condition "very precarious" while never doubting the talent. Tostão felt he lacked the aggression Pelé and Maradona found in adversity. At Milan, Leonardo moved him to the left of a 4–3–3 and he topped Serie A for assists in 2009–10. In 2013 he led Atlético Mineiro to their first Copa Libertadores and was voted South American Footballer of the Year. In 2026 he returned from retirement to join Ravenna in Serie C, also as an investor. Carles Puyol summed him up: "he's given Barcelona our spirit back."