Football is the most-watched sport on the planet with over a billion fans. Most of them would know the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Players like them only come around once every generation, but Brazilian winger Ronaldinho Gaucho was nearly as good as them.

He played for several great clubs in his career, like FC Barcelona, Paris Saint Germain, and AC Milan. However, his time with the Spanish club turned out to be the most successful and memorable for him. The Brazilian finally retired in 2015 after a sharp decline that no one expected.

However, no one can doubt the talent that he possessed. Even though his story has been one of wasted potential; he did manage to accomplish great things before retiring.

Ronaldinho reveals which footballer he loves to watch right now

In a recent interview with La Gazzetta Dello Sport, Ronaldinho was asked which footballer he loved to watch. His response wasn’t surprising, as he chose Paris Saint Germain forward Lionel Messi. Ronaldinho reasoned that when Messi is on the pitch, he is capable of magical things.

“There are many. But if I had to choose one, I would say Messi. When he is on the pitch, you can be sure that something good always happens,” Ronaldinho said.

Messi and Ronaldinho were teammates at FC Barcelona. The Argentinian forward came through from the club’s academy in 2004 and played with Ronaldinho until 2008 when the Brazilian left the club for AC Milan. There had been reports that Barca sold the Brazilian star to protect Messi from his party-loving demeanor.

Was Lionel Messi the reason for Ronaldinho’s departure?

Ronaldinho reportedly had an eccentric lifestyle, which was concerning for the new manager, Pep Guardiola. According to Alexander Hleb, a midfielder who joined the club in 2008, Ronaldinho and Deco came up for training when they were drunk.

The Belarusian footballer revealed that they were sold for those particular reasons, but Ronaldinho’s agent has since denied the reports. He mentioned that Guardiola wanted the Brazilian to stay at the club, but Ronaldinho wanted to leave because of the Presidential elections in 2008.

Read More: Mohamed Salah, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and More- Huge Soccer Stars That Will Miss Out on the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar