João Mendes
Personal information
Full name João Mendes de Assis Moreira[1]
Date of birth (2005-02-25) 25 February 2005
Place of birth Rio de Janeiro, Brazil[1]
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre-forward
Team information
Current team
 Barcelona Atlètic
Youth career
Flamengo
Vasco da Gama
Boavista-RJ
2018–2022 Cruzeiro
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2023– Barcelona Atlètic 0 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21 February 2023

João Mendes de Assis Moreira (born 25 February 2005) is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a centre-forward for Barcelona Atlètic.

Early and personal life

João Mendes was born in Rio de Janeiro to Brazilian footballing legend Ronaldinho and professional dancer Janaina Mendes.[2][3][4] His uncle is former footballer Assis, while his cousin, and Assis’ son, Diego Assis also pursued a career in football.

Club career

Early career

João Mendes first took an interest in football at the age of four, when he asked his mother to enroll him in a football school.[3] At the age of ten, he joined the academy of Flamengo, before playing indoor football for Vasco da Gama, followed by a short spell with Boavista-RJ.[3]

At the age of thirteen, he had a successful trial at Cruzeiro, where he hid the fact that his father was Ronaldinho from fellow trialists, as well as Cruzeiro staff.[3][5][6] A year after joining, he signed his first professional contract with the club, a six-year deal, in 2019.[7][8] Shortly after signing professional terms, he scored two goals for Cruzeiro at a youth tournament hosted in China.[9]

Barcelona

In February 2022, after almost four seasons with the club, João Mendes left Cruzeiro.[10] Having been without a club for almost a year, he went on trial with Spanish side Barcelona in January 2023.[11][12][13] He had been linked to the Catalan club, where his father used to play, since 2020.[14] He reportedly did not impress Barcelona coaches during his trial period, with club president, and long-time friend of Ronaldinho, Joan Laporta, requesting an extension to the trial for further technical analysis.[15]

On 7 February 2023, at the MD Grand Gala, Ronaldinho stated "with the arrival of my son at Barça I will be even more present," seemingly confirming João Mendes' move to Barcelona.[16] João Mendes played in a friendly match for Barcelona's under-19 team in a 3–1 win over Manchester United on 16 February 2023.[17] Following the game, Laporta stated "we want Ronaldinho's son to continue his career here. We will make him a contract [offer]. The other day we spoke with Roberto (his agent) and he has to close some things in Brazil."[17]

João Mendes officially signed for Barcelona on 2 March 2023, being assigned to the youth team.[18][19]

International career

João Mendes holds a Spanish passport, making him eligible to represent Spain, as well as his nation of birth Brazil.[20]

References

  1. 1 2 3 João Mendes at LaPreferente.com (in Spanish)
  2. ↑ "Ronaldinho assume ser pai de filho com dançarina" [Ronaldinho assumes he is the father of a child with a dancer]. folhadelondrina.com.br (in Portuguese). 25 August 2005. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Filho de Ronaldinho Gaúcho, João Mendes estreia série sobre sua vida e o início no futebol" [Son of Ronaldinho Gaúcho, João Mendes debuts series about his life and his beginnings in football]. extra.globo.com (in Portuguese). 16 July 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  4. ↑ "El espectacular cambio físico del hijo de Ronaldhino" [The spectacular physical change of Ronaldhino's son]. informacion.es (in Spanish). 3 March 2022. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  5. ↑ "Filho de Ronaldinho Gaúcho é aprovado em teste no Cruzeiro" [Ronaldinho Gaúcho's son passes test at Cruzeiro]. placar.abril.com.br (in Portuguese). 16 August 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  6. ↑ "Ronaldinho's son hid identity during trial at Cruzeiro". en.as.com. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  7. ↑ Cañas, Alejandro (6 April 2019). "Ronaldinho's son signs first professional contract". en.as.com. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  8. ↑ "Ronaldinho's son signs professional contract with Cruzeiro". espn.com. 6 April 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  9. ↑ "Filhos de Ronaldinho Gaúcho e Adriano são campeões nas categorias de base" [Sons of Ronaldinho Gaúcho and Adriano are champions in the base categories]. esportefera.com.br (in Portuguese). 26 April 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  10. ↑ "Cruzeiro não renova com filho de Ronaldinho Gaúcho; Guerreiro também sai" [Cruzeiro does not renew with Ronaldinho Gaúcho's son; Guerreiro also leaves]. mg.superesportes.com.br (in Portuguese). 26 February 2022. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  11. ↑ "El hijo de Ronaldinho, al juvenil del Barça" [Ronaldinho's son, to the youth of Barça]. mundodeportivo.com (in Spanish). 12 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  12. ↑ Clark, Gill (12 January 2023). "Ronaldinho's son on trial at Barcelona after terminating Cruzeiro contract". goal.com. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  13. ↑ "'Zoon (17) van Ronaldinho op proef bij FC Barcelona'" ['Son (17) of Ronaldinho on trial at FC Barcelona']. sportniewus.nl (in Dutch). 12 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  14. ↑ Saenz, Mauricio (21 December 2020). "Ronaldinho's son, Joao Mendes, is reportedly on FC Barcelona's shortlist to replace Messi after his departure to Paris". elfutbolero.us. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  15. ↑ Ricci, Filippo Maria (18 January 2023). "Ronaldinho junior in prova al Barcellona: non ha convinto, e allora il presidente..." [Ronaldinho junior on trial at Barcelona: he didn't convince, so the president...]. gazzetta.it (in Italian). Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  16. ↑ "Ronaldinho confirma que el Barça ficha a su hijo" [Ronaldinho confirms that Barça signs his son]. mundodeportivo.com (in Spanish). 7 February 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  17. 1 2 Brown, Dan (17 February 2023). "Ronaldinho's son makes Barcelona youth team debut against Manchester United". manchestereveningnews.co.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  18. ↑ Labarga, Nacho (2 March 2023). "Ronaldinho's son has officially signed for Barcelona". marca.com. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  19. ↑ "Ronaldinho's teenage son signs for Barcelona" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  20. ↑ Jiménez, Juan (7 February 2023). "Ronaldinho's son to sign for Barcelona". en.as.com. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
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