What did Ronaldinho think about Messi the day of his debut

Ronaldinho arrived at Barcelona as a megastar in 2003, when Messi was not even part of the professional squad. The former Brazilian player who turned soccer upside down at the beginning of the millennium marked an era with his lively style both on and off the pitch.

He later had the opportunity to share a season and a half with La Pulga. Ronaldinho even provided the first assist to the Argentine striker, who would later become the top scorer in the history of the Catalan club. Find the latest news about the team that brought the two together.

Currently, the Brazilian seeks to promote young talents in both music and soccer and has created several schools so that the youngest can be trained. 

What does Ronaldinho say about his retirement?

With the simplicity that characterizes him, Ronaldinho declared several times that he does not miss being a professional because he gave everything he had during that period and had the chance to win the Champions League and the World Cup, among other prized trophies. Learn more about other international competitions and keep up to date with their results.

In the years prior to Messi's debut, the Blaugrana had won 16 league titles, one Champions League and zero Club World Cups. In the years since his arrival, they have won 10 more league titles, have been crowned European champions four more times and have lifted the Club World Cup three times.

Ronaldinho and Messi

Messi joined a heavyweight squad that had Ronaldinho, Deco, Henrik Larsson and Samuel Eto'o to its credit. 

Ronaldinho stated that when Messi arrived at FC Barcelona he was a boy playing like a man, who stood out among the younger players. The two got on well from the start and became friends and an unmatched ball-handling duo.

There are many memories that Ronaldinho has with Messi in his time at Barcelona, in fact, it was he who gave him the pass to score his first goal. 

The Brazilian has been able to highlight how comforting it is to see someone so close to him conquer the world. Even when Argentina beat Brazil in the last Copa America, Ronaldinho said he was sad that his country lost but happy that Lionel Messi had finally won something with the Argentine national team.

In his present as a retired soccer player, he usually accepts the calls to participate in friendly matches with former players, where, according to him, they all take care not to get injured, but they also seek to give a nice show. 

In addition, although he has no pending dreams, he acknowledged that he likes this stage of his life in which he can travel like a normal tourist.