Sports Nicknames - Gaucho

When one thinks of Brazilian flair, the name that comes to mind has to be Ronaldinho. Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, more commonly known as Ronaldinho Gaucho or just Ronaldinho was perhaps the most famous player of the 2000s thanks to his flair, creativity and attacking skill.



Ronaldinho was known as Ronaldinho Gaucho because of the fact that he came from southern Brazil and wanted to differentiate himself from his countryman Ronaldo. Gaucho is a name for a skilled, brave and unruly cowboy in South America. However, upon coming to Europe in 2001 with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), he dropped the "Gaucho" part of his name.

However, Ronaldinho's true fame didn't become realised until a high-profile transfer to Barcelona in 2003. There, he became the fascination of the world. He won La Liga in the 04-05 season, before winning a host of different awards the next year. He was named the FIFA World Player of the Year, the Ballon d'Or and the FIFPro World Player of the Year.

Ronaldinho's career would deteriorate after his prime Barcelona days. He had a string of injuries before transferring to AC Milan in Italy. There he would score 20 goals before returning to Brazil for a series of different clubs. These clubs were Flamengo, Atletico Mineiro, Queretaro and Fluminense. The Brazilian legend retired in 2015.

Many people attribute Ronaldino's decline to his off-the-pitch antics, where he would often take life too jovially to maintain at the top level for long. Ronaldinho became famous for his endorsements and advertisements, where he would show off his tricks, flicks and skills for all to see.

Regardless of how long his career lasted, it is undisputed that for about 10 years, the world couldn't look away from the Brazilian superstar. And for that time, Ronaldinho Gaucho certainly deserved it.

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