Ronaldinho’s son Joao Mendes, 19, completes transfer to EFL club as fans are left completely baffled
He will be hoping to use the club to give his career a boost
RONALDINHO’s son has baffled fans by completing a move to Burnley.
Joao Mendes is believed to have signed a contract with the Clarets that will run until 2026.
Mendes, 19, has been in the academy at Barcelona since 2023 after a successful trial.
He started his youth career in Brazil with Cruzeiro, where he spent four years.
He left Barcelona earlier this year after his contract came to an end.
The attacker has now found himself in Lancashire, having signed for Burnley.
Reports have claimed that the Brazilian will be available to manager Scott Parker before the end of the week.
Fans have been completely stunned by the move as they reacted on social media.
One posted: “Ronaldinho’s Son, Joao Mendes has signed for Burnley. I repeat, RONALDINHO’S SON has signed for BURNLEY FOOTBALL CLUB. WHAT.”
A second commented: “Ronaldinho in a Burnley shirt is going to be a crazy sight I need it.”
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A third commented: “Sean Dyche never would’ve stood for this.”
A fourth said: “That’s actually mental.”
Ronaldinho's career by numbers
Here is a look at Ronaldinhos' career by numbers...
Gremio, 1998–2001
- Games: 10
- Goals: 1
Paris Saint-Germain, 2001–2003
- Games: 77
- Goals: 25
Barcelona, 2003–2008
- Games: 207
- Goals: 94
AC Milan, 2008–2011
- Games: 96
- Goals: 26
Flamengo, 2011–2012
- Games: 47
- Goals: 20
Atletico Mineiro, 2012–2014
- Games: 75
- Goals: 24
Querétaro, 2014–2015
- Games: 29
- Goals: 8
Fluminese, 2015
- Games: 9
- Goals 0
Another added: “The son of THE Ronaldinho is now a BURNLEY player???”
Mendes made his debut for Barcelona in a friendly match against Manchester United in February 2023.
However, he then had to wait two months until his next game, which came in the Mediterranean International Cup.
He struggled for game time with the LaLiga giants and will be hoping to feature more regularly at Turf Moor.
He boasts 561,000 Instagram followers, where he regularly shares photos of himself on the pitch.
His father, Ronaldinho, was once regarded as one of the best players in the world.
He starred for the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and AC Milan while playing in Europe.
He won the Ballon d’Or in 2005 for his brilliant form in Spain.
The exciting winger won two LaLiga titles and a Champions League while with Barcelona and a Serie A title with Milan.
On the international stage, he won the World Cup in 2002 and the Copa America in 1999.
Ronaldinho hung up his boots in 2015, as he ended his playing career with Fluminese in Brazil.
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