After years of speculation, the time appears to finally be near – Ronaldinho is likely heading to the U.S. to play in the MLS this summer. As the greatest player of the 2000s decade and one of the most widely loved players of all time, Ronaldinho’s impending MLS arrival should create an excitement for the league that meets or exceeds the hysteria created by Ricardo Kaka, Thierry Henry and David Beckham bringing their talents stateside.
Obviously, adding an aging superstar to the league will not make the MLS a globally respected league overnight, but on paper adding Ronaldinho should help the league continue its steady growth.
However, the MLS should be wary, because should Ronaldinho fail to make an impact, it will only perpetuate the stereotype of the league being a retirement destination for former-stars hoping to earn one final pay-day without putting forth the effort that made them stars in the first place.
Despite Ronaldinho’s performance on the field being on a steady decline since 2006 and despite his taste for the nightlife remaining as strong as ever, there is still reason to be optimistic about him making a positive impact on the MLS.
Now 35 years old, Ronaldinho currently plies his craft at Querétaro in Mexico’s Liga MX and it appears the time is now or never for the mercurial Brazilian to move to MLS after being linked with the league for many years.
His brother, who doubles as his agent, recently told reporters, “Ronaldinho will play for Querétaro until the middle of the year then we are going to look for another club. MLS needs big players to increase the appeal of soccer to the American public. In sport anything can happen, although nobody has contacted me yet.”
As is often the case for international stars looking to move to the states, New York and Los Angeles have been linked as the most likely landing spots for Ronaldinho. The New York Red Bulls are viewed as the most likely option due to having available designated player slots, and having seen two of their designated players, Thierry Henry and Tim Cahill, leave the club in the offseason.
Ronaldinho’s professional career began in 1998 at his hometown club Gremio in Porto Alegre, Brazil, but he began to gain global recognition after moving to Paris Saint-Germain in 2001. With Ronaldinho playing in one of the world’s top leagues and most famous cities, the global soccer community began to take notice of his immaculate first-touch, audacious skill, deadly accuracy from set-pieces and sheer joy with which he played the game.
All of these sublime traits were in full display while playing a starring role in Brazil’s 2002 World Cup triumph, during which he scored one of his most memorable goals, an absurd free kick in the quarterfinal vs. England.
The peak of his career came during his time at his next club, Barcelona. From 2003 to 2008, Ronaldinho made 207 appearances for the Catalan giants, scoring 94 times. Ronaldinho won La Liga twice, as well as the Champions League and the Ballon D’or (awarded to Europe’s best player) during his years at Barcelona.
These exploits made Ronaldinho a global phenomenon. He was the centerpiece of Nike’s famous Joga Bonito advertising campaign and was the most fun player to play with on the popular FIFA video game franchise. Ronaldinho made the impossible look routine on a nightly basis, and always with a contagious joy.
Such was the universal adulation for the Barcelona star that he received a standing ovation from arch-rival Real Madrid fans at the Bernabéu after a magnificent two goal performance in 2005. The Madrid fans had to appreciate the beauty of Ronaldinho’s game, even after he was deemed too ugly to play in the Spanish Capital by Madrid president Florentino Pérez.
Having won virtually all there is to win in football by 2008, Ronaldinho seemed to lose some motivation and was never able to recapture the magic of his Barcelona days during his subsequent stops at AC Milan, Flemengo, Atlético Mineiro and Querétaro, with his highlight reel moments of ludicrous skill still present but becoming less and less frequent.
He has failed to deliver consistently for Querétaro and often finds himself left out of their starting-eleven. As his dazzling brilliance slowly wears off, a persistent problem in his career has become ever more apparent - Ronaldinho likes to party.
Throughout his career, Ronaldinho has faced criticism from coaches and fans for his infatuation with clubbing, alcohol, drugs and even prostitution. At Paris Saint-Germain, he was criticized by Coach Luis Fernandez for being too focused on the Parisian nightlife.
At Barcelona, Ronaldinho was sold largely due to management being concerned about his weight gain and that his partying lifestyle would have a negative impact on a young, impressionable Leo Messi (give me a moment while I chuckle thinking about an alternate reality in which a potential Messi transfer to the MLS is being held-up due to concerns of him partying too much with Rihanna and JR Smith). The trend continued at AC Milan where he was fined for hosting a three day hotel party prior to a derby defeat to city rivals Inter Milan.
You probably get the point by now, and it should come as no surprise that Ronaldinho faced similar scrutiny after returning home to Brazil to play for Flemengo and Atlético Mineiro and at his current club Querétaro.
This unsettling pattern is unlikely to change for Ronaldinho in New York or Los Angeles, cities that have no shortages of temptations, particularly because Ronaldinho has always been a staunch defender of his lifestyle.
Barcelona star Xavi said of Ronaldinho, "Ronie has always led the same sort of lifestyle. He always told us: 'that's the way I am.’”
Ronaldinho could not have been more blunt about his controversial lifestyle during his introductory press conference for Querétaro when he answered the inevitable question about his passion for partying: "I've always led the same kind of lifestyle, and all the teams I've played on, I've been a champion. I hope to continue leading the same lifestyle and to keep being a champion."
Dazzled by his brilliance, infectious smile and the joy with which he plays the game, the casual soccer fan may not be aware of the darker side of Ronaldinho, but it is a problem that must be thoroughly considered by any MLS team thinking of spending the money to bring him to the U.S.
It is not unreasonable to think that Ronaldinho, having failed to impress in Mexico, will struggle in the MLS, a league considered to be more physically demanding than Liga MX. Ultimately, it is a risk that should be taken by someone.
Ronaldinho is one of the most beloved players to ever play the game and one of the most talented as well. Sure, he will party in New York or Los Angeles, but he certainly won’t be the first or the last athlete, many of which have had extremely successful careers, to live that lifestyle in the United States’ two largest cities.
Furthermore, Ronaldinho will know that if he comes to the MLS, it will be the final stop of his illustrious career, and will certainly be more motivated to stay in shape and perform on the field than he presently is in Mexico.
The prospect of Ronaldinho getting in shape and gracing the MLS with his customary joy and skill, combined with the certain increase in jersey sales, ticket sales and TV ratings the move would create, should be enough to entice an MLS club to take a chance on him. If that risk is rewarded with even one or two years of vintage Ronaldinho, it will keep the MLS growing and on track to eventually become a top global league. It’s a classic scenario of the reward being worth the risk.
