Ronaldinho’s son Joao Mendes puts pen-to-paper on his first Barcelona contract
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Ronaldinho’s son Joao Mendes signs his first Barcelona contract after impressing at trial when the 18-year-old signs a contract “until next summer”… and now tries to emulate his father’s incredible Camp Nou , winner of the World Cup. career
- Ronaldinho’s son arrives at Barcelona after signing a contract with the club
- Joao de Assis Moreira, known as Joao Mendes, impressed during his trial
- The 18-year-old signed his contract with the club’s La Masia youth academy this Thursday
The son of Barcelona legend Ronaldinho has put his first contract with the Catalan club in writing after a successful trial with his under-19 team.
Barcelona unveiled the winger on Thursday, posing for photos alongside academy director José Ramón Alexanco, and he will now take his place among other young talents looking to forge a successful career in Spain.
Joao de Assis Moreira, known as Joao Mendes, follows in the footsteps of his father, who made 145 appearances for the LaLiga giants and will join the club’s legendary La Masia academy to hone his craft.
His contract will reportedly run until the summer of 2024, when Mendes would leave the Under-19 team due to his age, according to ESPN. Furthermore, they revealed that the club will decide whether to extend his contract once his current contract expires.
Sportsmail previously reported in early February that the 18-year-old was training with the club and undergoing a trial before making a decision on his future.
Ronaldinho’s son Joao de Assis Moreira, known as Joao Mendes (right) has signed a first contract with Barcelona
Mendes hopes to follow in Ronaldinho’s (pictured) footsteps at the Catalan giants
Mendes clearly did enough to impress Barcelona’s decision makers and has been rewarded with a first contract at the Camp Nou.
Ronaldinho established himself as one of the best players in the world during a title-packed tenure at Barcelona, winning the Ballon d’Or in 2005 and captivating audiences around the world for bringing his Brazilian flair to the modern game.
While the 42-year-old Ronaldinho has mainly played on the wing throughout his career, his son is a natural striker and will aim for a place among first-team coach Xavi’s attack.
Mendes, born Joao de Assis Moreira, is following in his father Ronaldinho’s footsteps by joining
Initially, it was thought the left-footed striker’s trial was not going well, with club president Joan Laporta asking for patience after Mendes failed to convince in training, but it seems he salvaged a deal in the closing stages.
Ronaldinho currently functions as an ambassador for his former club and will be heavily involved in his son’s development at the club.
World Cup winner Brazil recently returned to the pitch in Gerard Piqué’s newly formed seven-a-side soccer league, but appeared to struggle in his first outing.
He entered the first Kings League draw, admitting afterwards: “I don’t want to run, I let the others run.”
