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Sadly, it's hard not to talk about Ronaldinho in the past tense: Ronaldinho was the world's best player; Ronaldinho played for Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, and AC Milan; Ronaldinho won the World Cup and Champions League.
At 32, his best days are undoubtedly behind him, but a few weeks ago those who fondly remember when he was the planet's most sensational footballer were given a new reason to talk about Ronaldinho: he was recalled to the Brazil squad to face England at Wembley after an absence of close to a year.
All those present at Wembley as the FA's 150th anniversary celebrations kick off on Wednesday will be praying that he makes it on to the pitch. Many of his finest moments came against English teams, so how about one more for the road?
In the meantime, we'll make do with recalling the moments Ronaldinho stunned the world with skills and tricks no-one had seen before, using a lethal combination of pace and power. Does that sound like Cristiano Ronaldo? Well, this guy was terrorising defenders long before the preening Portuguese was around.
So, here are 10 reasons why we fell in love with Ronaldinho. Chelsea fans, look away now...
Magician: Ronaldinho was the world's best player for a time and showed us a new way to play football
1 - Did he mean it? (Of course he did...)
(England 1 Brazil 2, World Cup, June 21 2002)
Until this game, Ronaldinho was that just that bloke living off the name of his more celebrated Brazil team-mate, Ronaldo. Then we saw what the fuss was about. Whether he meant the 40-yard free-kick lob over David Seaman that won the game is still debated to this day (he did, by the way) but his overall performance was mesmeric (despite his harsh red card).
2 - THAT goal against Chelsea
(Chelsea 4 Barcelona 2, Champions League, March 8 2005)
Have a go at this one at home. With the ball at your feet, shimmy left, then right, then poke the ball with enough power and accuracy to beat a goalkeeper of Petr Cech's class. I'll give you 100 attempts. You won't be able to do it once. Listen carefully and you'll probably hear a gasp as 40,000 supporters have their breath taken away in one moment of pure brilliance.
3 - Terry KO
(Barcelona 1 Chelsea 1, Champions League, March 8 2006)
Anyone who smashes into John Terry and leaves the Chelsea captain flat on his backside before scoring a goal will win a lot of friends outside Stamford Bridge. Not even one of the finest - and strongest - defenders in Europe could stop Ronaldinho during this stage of his career.
4 - Standing ovation at the Bernabeu
(Real Madrid 0 Barcelona 3, La Liga, November 19 2005)
Can you imagine a Manchester United player receiving a standing ovation from Liverpool fans at Anfield? Or Celtic player at Ibrox? Well, that's the equivalent of what Ronaldinho managed after running from near the halfway line to score at the Bernabeu. Madridistas can't stand Barcelona, and vice-versa, but they knew they had seen something truly special.
5 - The impossible overhead kick
(Barcelona 4 Villarreal 0, La Liga, February 25, 2007)
If you didn't believe Ronaldinho meant that free-kick against England, this was the moment he proved he really can score from anywhere. Controlling a lofted through-ball on his chest, he found himself twisting and turning away from goal, 12 yards out, with the ball behind him. He still scored.
6 - Take Frat, Pompey
(Portsmouth 2 AC Milan 2, UEFA Cup, November 27 2008)
Portsmouth were on the verge of the most famous win in their history, leading the Italian giants 2-0 at Fratton Park. But then Ronaldinho lined up a free-kick 30 yards out and Pompey's dream night ended in disappointment. And yes, Portsmouth really were in the UEFA Cup...
7 - C'est magnifique
Long before he stole the show in El Clasico, he was doing the same in France's biggest derby, Le Classique. Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille make no secret of hating each other, and Ronaldinho sealed his place in PSG folklore with this star performance against L'OM. (Check out the cheeky striker robbing him of a brilliant solo goal, too).
8 - Crossbar challenge
OK, so this may be a work of fiction but at the time Nike's advert seemed to cement Ronaldinho's reputation as a footballing magician. This viral video actually had fans debating whether he really could repeatedly volley the ball against a crossbar without it touching the ground.
9 - Sending Brazil nuts
Before moving to Europe with PSG, Ronaldinho started out at Gremio in the late 90s. Here's an early glimpse of his quick feet, blistering pace and deadly shooting.
10 - Now you see him, now you don't...
More than anything, it was Ronaldinho's lightning-fast feet that made his name. He seemed to be able to do almost anything with a football and was responsible for introducing a whole new array of tricks into the game. What's more, he wasn't just a show-pony - he was able to use his skills when it really mattered to bamboozle opponents and leave defenders wondering what on earth he was going to do next.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2267021/Ronaldinho-VIDEO-The-original-showboater-recalled-Brazil--celebrate-magical-moments.html#ixzz2JxutiejZ
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