Lionel Messi And Neymar Both Send Heartfelt Tributes To Ronaldinho After Mother’s Death

Barcelona captain Lionel Messi and Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar have both sent out fitting tributes to Brazil legend Ronaldinho after his mother passed away.

Ronaldinho's mother, Dona Miguelina Eloi Assis dos Santos, was in hospital in December after she contracted COVID-19.

Dos Santos sadly passed away on the weekend at the age of 71 due to complications from coronavirus.

According to reports in Brazil, Ronaldinho was 'too upset' to attend his mother's funeral in Brazil.

Messi, who played alongside the iconic Brazilian, took to Instagram to share a heart-warming message for Ronaldinho.

The 33-year-old Argentine superstar wrote: "Ronnie, I have no words. I can't believe it.

"Just sending you a lot of strength and a big hug for you and the whole family. I'm very sorry. Rest in peace."

Neymar also took to social media to send his condolences to Ronaldinho, saying he is "very sorry" to hear the news of his mother's death.

The 29-year-old Brazilian winger said on Instagram: "Stay strong Roni... I am very sorry."

Tributes have continued to pour in as Ronaldinho's two former clubs -- PSG and Barcelona -- sent heartfelt tributes on Twitter.

"Paris Saint-Germain extends its deepest condolences to Ronaldinho and his brother Roberto following the death of their mother," reads the French club's tweet.

"All our support in this moment filled with sadness."

Barcelona, meanwhile, tweeted out to its 1.2m followers: "FC Barcelona sends its most sincere condolences to our eternal idol [Ronaldinho] for the loss of your mother.

"Rest in peace, Dona Miguelina Eloi Assis dos Santos."

Ronaldinho, who is widely regarded as one of the best footballers in history, built an incredible legacy in the sport before his retirement in 2018.

The 40-year-old Brazilian superstar spent time in prison last year after he was arrested in 2019 for using a fake passport to enter Paraguay illegally.

However, Ronaldinho has dramatically turned his life around since he was released from Paraguayan prison last August.

Featured Image Credit: PA/Instagram

Topics: Ronaldinho, Paris Saint-Germain, Football, Barcelona, Ligue 1, PSG, Neymar, Lionel Messi, Spain, France, La Liga

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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