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A few months before making his senior international debut, Ronaldinho (by that point already nicknamed O Bruxo, or “The Wizard”) put on several magical displays for Brazil at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship™ in Nigeria. His look was unrecognisable back then – he was yet to grow his hair out into the long locks with which he would become synonymous – but he could already be seen dribbling at a blistering pace with the ball under his spell.
The attacking midfielder, who plied his trade at Gremio at the time, was already attracting attention because of the way he embodied the Brazilian “samba” style of play. Although he was not yet a regular starter for his club or a full international, the flamboyant, fresh-faced 19-year-old’s stock was rising rapidly. For many European scouts, the World Youth Championship would be the perfect opportunity to get a glimpse of his talent.
Brazil were three-time champions by that stage and and they turned up at the tournament in Nigeria in high spirits with an array of gifted players in their ranks. These included goalkeeper Fabio, who has gone on to shine at Vasco da Gama, Cruzeiro and, more recently, Fluminense, whom he notably helped to reach the FIFA Club World Cup™ semi-finals earlier this year. Such was the young shot-stopper’s promise that he reduced future legend Julio Cesar to bench duty in that side.
Head coach Joao Carlos’s mission was clear: to repeat the success of previous generations and, in the process, reverse the shift of power towards neighbours Argentina, who had won the previous two editions of the competition.
Ronaldinho would keep up his end of the bargain, scoring three goals at the tournament – one against Zambia and a brace against Croatia – and producing multiple moments of genius, including some trademark mazy runs. However, the Brazilians failed to perform as well as a unit, losing 2-1 to Uruguay in the quarter-finals. It was a significant upset given the expectations, particularly since O Canarinho had players who were destined for greatness in world football.
“It seems like it was just yesterday – time flies,” Ronaldinho said in an interview with Globo. “It’s a very emotional memory. That was the first step towards becoming world-famous while representing my country.”
Despite the disappointment of this relatively early exit, Nigeria 1999 will be remembered from a Brazilian perspective as the tournament when Ronaldinho showed the world that he was something special.
While yet to fully blossom into the pivotal playmaker that he would become over the ensuing years, he demonstrated character and ability in abundance in a highly competitive environment. The upshot: he was touted as one of Brazil’s next superstars, being tipped to follow in the footsteps of Romario, Ronaldo and Rivaldo – and, as it happens, he would subsequently taste glory at the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™ alongside the latter two.
The hype would only heighten in the months following the U-20 finals. Ronaldinho was called up to the 1999 Copa America, earning his first senior cap just three days before the tournament in Paraguay kicked off.
He hit the ground running at the continental extravaganza, scoring a goal for the ages in Brazil’s opener against Venezuela: after receiving the ball from Cafu, the youngster flicked it over one opponent’s head, drove beyond a second defender and expertly beat the goalkeeper at his near post.
From then on, the mercurial maestro’s rise was meteoric. After winning the FIFA World Cup™ in 2002 while at Paris Saint-Germain, he would go on to be named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005 during a glittering spell with Barcelona. Although he would never consistently hit the same heights again in the autumn of his career, his class remained evident throughout, and his legacy includes having served up some of the beautiful game’s most iconic moments of recent decades.
Having been regarded as a rough diamond going into the U-20 showpiece in 1999, Ronaldinho categorically lived up to his potential and his nickname of O Bruxo in the years that followed, proving that he truly was a footballing wizard.
