Fans are shocked after compilation of Ronaldinho's son playing for Barcelona goes viral

Football fans have been left shocked after a compilation of Ronaldinho's son playing for Barcelona went viral.

Ronaldinho is widely regarded as one of the greatest players who ever lived.

The Brazilian was one of football's first true superstars, who did the business on the international stage as well as at a host of top clubs.

Though the flamboyant playmaker did win two La Liga titles with Barcelona, one World Cup with Brazil and one scudetto with AC Milan, trophies and statistics aren't the reason he will forever be a footballing icon.

People loved Ronaldinho because of the way he played the game, making the impossible seem easy with a smile on his face and without a care in the world.

His dribbling and skills were mesmeric, his goals stunning and his persona infectious.

In short, Ronaldinho reminded people of the joy of football.

With that in mind, one might expect a child of Ronaldinho to follow in his footsteps and become a flamboyant trickster.

Joao Mendes de Assis Moreira has emulated his father in joining Barcelona, signing with the club in 2023 after undergoing a successful trial.

The 19-year-old is clearly a talent, although in recent months he has struggled for minutes in his preferred attacking role for Barca's under-19s side.

Ronaldinho in action for Barcelona. Image: Getty

Instead, as a viral TikTok has revealed, Joao Mendes has been deployed as a left-back.

Fans simply couldn't believe that the son of Ronaldinho has turned into a defender, although many admitted that he looks pretty decent.

"Imagine that you are the son of Ronaldinho and you also get blessed being left footed and at the end of the day you end playing as a left back that’s crazy," one fan commented on the clip.

Another wrote: "I respect the kid a lot though. He’s Ronaldinho's son and he’s not bitter about being moved to left-back, you can tell he’s really trying too."

Others saw the funny side. One person said: "Nah they turned bro into a left-back," while another joked: "It's not too late to go to university."

It's believed that Joao Mendes' contract will expire at the end of the current campaign.

Topics: Fan Reactions, Barcelona, Ronaldinho, Brazil, La Liga

Alex Brotherton

Alex Brotherton is a Sports Trends Writer at SPORTbible. He has previously worked with publications including the Manchester Evening News, GOAL and BBC Sport. He is a football fanatic, but also dabbles in tennis and American football. He enjoys running, cooking and watching non-league football.

@alex_brotherton