Ronaldinho: The Dream-Dribbler

New Delhi: We kick-off the site with our profile on Ronaldinho. The Brazilian midfielder is a true gift to the sport.

Despite being blessed with breathtaking skill and almost supernatural ball control, the endearingly modest Ronaldinho Gaucho still blushes when he is mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Zico or Pele.

He may not pursue the kind of legendary status afforded to Brazilian greats Garrincha, Didi or Vava, but with each passing game the feeling grows that Ronaldinho could become one of the finest players the world has ever seen.

Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, better known as Ronaldinho, was born on March 21, 1980 in the Restinga district of Porto Alegre, in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.

At the age of seven his elder brother a professional at local side Gremio Porto Alegre, took the talented youngster to join his club’s youth set-up.

The Barcelona star has never forgotten his sibling’s help in getting him where he is today.

"My biggest hero is my brother. He’s a shining example as a father, a brother and a footballer," he says.

Eight years on, Ronaldinho received his first call-up for the Brazilian national team’s junior side, and two years later he was a member of the team that won the FIFA U-17 World Championship in Egypt.

The Brazilian maestro turned professional in 1998.

Ronaldinho made his World Cup debut in 2002 held in Korea and Japan, where he played a vital role in Brazil's success.

Currently one of the most famous faces in world football, Ronaldinho has amassed an admirable collection of individual awards in a relatively short space of time.

In 2005 he was presented with France Football magazine’s Golden Ball, the European Player of the Year and an amazing second consecutive FIFA World Player of the Year award.

Despite all his success, Ronaldinho admits, "I used to be always thinking about bizarre things, I was a real dreamer. During the World Cup in 1994, I watched Romario smile and thought: 'I want to look like that.' Later on, when Ronaldo was voted the best player in the world, I wanted to be just like him."

The charismatic Brazilian’s words are proof of one thing: Dreams do sometimes come true.

And come June, it's Ronaldinho's dream dribble that the world will stay hooked to.