Ronaldinho Announces 17-Year-Old Son João Mendes Has Signed Barcelona Contract
Barcelona are set to sign 17-year-old forward João Mendes, the son of club legend Ronaldinho:
Mendes had played for Cruzeiro in Brazil before terminating his contract. He underwent a trial with Barcelona's U19 team in January, per Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens of ESPN.
The left-footed player has mostly been used as a center forward in his career, although he has also played as an attacking midfielder, per Transfermarkt.
Mendes will try to follow in the footsteps of his father, who spent five years with Barcelona from 2003 to 2008.
Ronaldinho led the club to two La Liga titles and one Champions League title during that time, winning the 2005 Ballon d'Or. The Brazilian scored 70 goals with 38 assists in 145 league matches for Barcelona.
He also competed for Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan during his impressive club career in Europe and helped lead Brazil to a World Cup title in 2002.
On Tuesday, Ronaldinho was given Barcelona's Legend Trophy by president John Laporta:
The 42-year-old has remained involved with the club as an ambassador since 2017.
