Barcelona have signed Ronaldinho’s son, Joao Mendes, who is set to join the U-19 team after a successful trial at the club.
Barcelona unveiled the player on March 2, 2023, alongside academy director Jose Ramon Alexanco.
Mendes is following in the footsteps of his father, who made 207 appearances for La Liga giant Barcelona.
Ronaldinho scored 94 goals and created 70 assists before leaving to join AC Milan.
He won the Champions League, the La Liga title, and the World Cup during his career as a player.
Ronaldinho also won the Ballon d’Or and was regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.
Mendes terminated his deal with a Brazilian side, Cruzeiro, that was co-owned by Ronaldo.
Mendes will join the La Masia academy, which has produced world-class players like Lionel Messi, Andreas Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas, and Xavi Hernandez.
When his contract ends in 2024, Mendes will leave the U-19 team. It was reported that Barcelona will decide whether to extend his contract if he performs with the La Masia academy.
He had previously trained with the club on a trial basis. At the initial stage, he failed to impress the team, but Barcelona’s Joan Laporte advised the staff there to give him more time to play.
On his second attempt, Mendes clearly impressed Barcelona, which earned him his first contract at the club with little influence from his father.
Mendes has a different gene from his father, Ronaldinho. Mendes is a left-footed player who can play any position on the front line.
Mendes plays as a striker capable of winning aerial balls and scoring excellently, but his father had always played as an attacker with exceptional dribbling skills.
The 18-year-old Ronaldinho’s son Mendes will be looking forward to impressing Xavi and also eyeing a place in the starting lineup on Wednesday.
Xavi had previously handed debut matches to young players.
Ronaldinho Sent Congratulatory Message To His Son After signing The Contract
The Brazil legend sent congratulatory message to his son Mendes via Instagram after landing a deal with Barca.
He prayed that God would continue to illuminate his son as he followed the same path as his father.
Ronaldinho said that with the arrival of his son, he would be more involved in Barcelona.
Everywhere he goes, the club will always be in his heart.
Ronaldinho Son Mendes also reacted after signing the contract; he stated he was so grateful and happy for the opportunity Barcelona had given him to progress in his career.
He is looking forward to winning silverware and every other title at the club.
What do you think about Ronaldinho Son joining Barcelona and hoping to rewrite his father’s legacy?
