Ronaldinho was born in 1980 in Porto Alegre, Brazil to a family of football fans. He joined the youth academy of Brazilian club Gremio at age 8 and made his professional debut with the club in 1997. Ronaldinho helped Brazil win the 1999 Copa America with six goals, including a spectacular strike against Venezuela. In 2001, he moved to French club PSG where he was a fan favorite but the club sought to sell him due to attitude issues. Ronaldinho was integral in Brazil's 2002 World Cup win, scoring in the quarterfinals and playing well in the final. He then transferred to Barcelona for £21 million in 2003.