RONALDINHO - BRAZIL

Date of birth: March 21, 1980
Birthplace: Porto Alegre, Brazil
Club: FC Barcelona (Spain)
Position: Midfielder
International debut: June 1999 vs. Latvia

The most amazing thing about Brazil's Ronaldinho is not the way he undresses defenders with his deft ball control, or the fact he scores highlight-reel goals with alarming regularity.

No, the thing that stands out most about the Brazilian wonder is that he really enjoys playing soccer — you can tell by the way he flashes his trademark toothy grin on the field even during the heat of battle, and by the childlike abandon with which he plays the game.

The two-time reigning world player of the year is a marvel to watch, a creative genius who has it all — vision, speed, strength and the ability to make the impossible look so easy.

And though some media pundits extol the virtues of Thierry Henry or Andriy Shevchenko, there can be no question about Ronaldinho's place among the game's elite stars: He is the best player in the world today, bar none!

Ronaldinho first gained fame when he finished top scorer at the 1997 under-17 World Cup, helping Brazil win the title. He made his pro debut the following year for Brazilian side Gremio.

Ronaldinho spent three seasons with Gremio, while at the same time establishing himself as a star for Brazil's national team — he helped his country win the 1999 Copa America and finished as the top scorer at the Confederations Cup that same year.

Like most South American stars, Ronaldinho eventually made the move across the pond to Europe when he signed with Paris St Germain in 2001. A year later he scored a spectacular goal against England in the quarter-finals to help pace Brazil to a record fifth World Cup title.

After the tournament he returned to PSG but he failed to impress for the second straight season in France and his relationship with manager Luis Fernandez deteriorated to the point where he asked the club to sell him at the end of the season.

In 2003, with several teams vying for his services — including Manchester United — Ronaldinho moved to Spanish side FC Barcelona in a transfer worth 25 million euros.

It was in Spain that Ronaldinho matured and blossomed into the best player in the world. He ended his first season with Barcelona with 14 goals, turning the club from underachieving malcontents to Spanish league contenders — Barcelona finished in second place in 2003-04 thanks to a 17-game unbeaten streak.

Ronaldinho was recognized for his Spanish renaissance when he beat out Henry and Shevchenko to win the 2004 FIFA world player of the year award.

The following year Ronaldinho tasted both club and national team success: He led Barcelona to its first Spanish league title in six years and captained Brazil to victory at the Confederations Cup. Individual honours also came his way when he repeated as the FIFA world player of the year and won the 2005 European player of the year award.

This past season, Barcelona won its second straight Spanish league title and the Champions League for the first time since 1992. Ronaldinho, as usual, was as the centre of both victories.

At the 2002 World Cup, Ronaldinho played a secondary role for Brazil and was overshadowed by compatriots Ronaldo and Rivaldo.

Germany will be his time to shine.