Ronaldinho has announced that his 17-year-old son, Joao Mendes, has signed for Barcelona after successfully passing a trial at the club.
Mendes has been without a club since February 2022 after leaving Brazilian side Cruzeiro, where he spent four years of his fledgling career. Barcelona have been linked with the centre forward since 2020, with the Catalan side offering him a trial in January 2023.
Trialling with Barcelona B, the reserve team of Barcelona and currently playing in the third tier of Spanish football, Mendes initially failed to impress coaches across the first ten days.=.
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However, Barca president Joan Laporta, who helped bring Ronaldinho to the Blaugrana in 2003, requested a further technical analysis of Mendes, urging the reserve team coaches to give him another chance to impress.
Ultimately, he did, with Ronaldinho confirming his son has signed for Barcelona while speaking to Catalan radio network RAC1.
“I can confirm Barcelona will sign Joao, Barça has always been part of my life and my heart and it will continue with my son”, Ronaldinho told RAC1.
He also told Mundo Deportivo: "Barca is part of my life, and with the arrival of my son in the academy, I will be more present. I have many friends within Barca, Xavi included, and I hope that they can win the league."
Mendes failed to make a senior appearance for Cruzeiro before leaving 12 months ago, but will head to Camp Nou full of promise, albeit with big shoes to fill.
Following in his father's footsteps, Mendes has plenty to live up to at the club where Ronaldinho played between 2003 and 2008. During that five-year spell, the Brazilian won the 2005 Ballon d'Or, the 2006 Champions League and two La Liga titles.
He scored 94 goals in 207 games across all competitions for Barcelona, before leaving to join AC Milan in the summer of 2008. Ronaldinho then eventually returned to play in Brazil, signing for Flamengo, Atletico Mineiro and then a brief spell at Mexican side Queretaro.
At the age of 37, Ronaldinho retired from professional football, despite having not played for a club since leaving Fluminense three years beforehand.
