In an era where goal scoring and goal scorers take all the glory with little given to creators or artists in the game, one player who will forever remain an exception is no one else but Ronaldinho. With an impressive stats yet behind that of Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, the Brazilian is not only a Legend of the game but also the Best worldwide in his prime . He might have been too ugly for Florentino Perez's Real Madrid, yet he was so beautiful on the field that he was given a standing ovation by the Bernabeu crowd after his scantilating performance in the 3-0 demolition of Real Madrid in 2006.
One of seven players who won the World Cup, UEFA Champions League and Balloon d'Or, the Brazilian was also the main player responsible for the rise of Barcelona in the modern game having delivered Barcelona's first Champions League title (2006) in over 14 years . He made the game look so easy, impossible skills, quick change of pace, step-over, back-heels, blind pass as well as scoring impossible goals were all what made him stand out among his peers. Statistically he was a match for anyone as he scored 17 goals in 55 league games for PSG (2001-2003), 70 league goals in 145 games for Barcelona (2003-2008), 20 goals in 76 games for AC Milan (2008-2011) during his time in Europe.
Even with all his talent , the Brazilian's fall from grace to grass is a lesson that talent is no mantra for success. Having crashed out of the 2006 World Cup in Germany in the quarter-final (France eliminated Brazil), Ronaldinho's career was never the same after the game with reports of late nights, loss of commitment, loss of motivation and weight issues. Also to be noted is the emergence of a young Lionel Messi who took the mantle from him never looking back after Ronaldinho's infamous exit to Milan for €25m from Barcelona in 2008.
Though that might be harsh on the Brazilian, the one certain thing is that he will be remembered until the end of time as one of the Greatest Players to ever grace the field.
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