The son of former Barcelona and Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho is on trial with the Barcelona under-19 side, reports ESPN. 17-year-old Joao Mendes de Assis Moreira trains with Juvenil A.
However, the decision on whether or not Moreira will receive a contract is still awaited.
The teenager has played for Brazilian club Cruzeiro since he was 14, but his contract with the club was recently terminated.
Like his other relatives, Joa Mendes is also left-footed and can play upfront in a variety of positions. His uncle Roberto de Assis Moreira takes care of his professional affairs. Roberto also took care of Ronaldinho’s career.
Alongside Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho was one of the greatest players in FC Barcelona history. He scored 94 goals in 207 games and helped the Catalan club win the Champions League and two La Liga titles in 2006.
The superstar also represented Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan and won the 2002 World Cup with Brazil. He retired from football in 2015.
Diario Sport says Mendes has terminated his contract with Brazilian giant Cruzeiro. The report also indicates that the teenager could be signed with the club’s Juvenil A if he can impress at the Camp Nou.
Ronaldinho, one of the greatest footballers of all time, showed great affection for his son after celebrating him on his birthday. The young João de Assis Moreira turned 17th on Friday, February 25, 2022 and his father shared lovely photos from his toddler days to his teens. In a post on social media, Ronaldinho congratulated his son and hopes the aspiring footballer will reach his potential.
He is currently training with Barca’s U19 team, under the guidance of Under-19 coach Oscar Lopez and assistant Javier Saviola, the former Argentina striker who played alongside Ronaldinho.
Ronaldinho, who now works as a club ambassador, spent five years as a player at Camp Nou from 2003 to 2008.