Two-time FIFA Player of the Year and Barcelona striker Ronaldinho now shares a unique honor with football legend Pele. They are both comic book heroes in Brazil.
The fictional "Ronaldinho Gaucho" is a toothy, boyish character possessing the soccer wizardry of his namesake. The character was developed by Mauricio de Souza, who is a nationally known comic book artist.
The only other soccer figure Souza has created is "Pelezinho," or little Pele, based on the legendary Santos star. Ronaldinho was voted FIFA's Player of the Year in 2005 and 2004. In addition to playing professional club football in Spain, he is a starter on the Brazilian national team that will seek a sixth World Cup title in Germany next year.
Some information for this story provided by AP.
