With Brazil legend Ronaldinho being one of the most influential footballers of all time, here are 10 big names who have tried modelling their game on the FC Barcelona icon.
Click through the gallery above to see 10 players who wanted to play like Ronaldinho.
While there have been footballers with more consistency than him over the years, the former Selecao international is a once-in-a-lifetime player, a generational talent who inspires youngsters to this day.
With his wide smile, Ronaldinho killed his opponents with kindness, and will always be fondly remembered for playing the beautiful game in a care-free manner that most could only admire.
Though his prime was short-lived due to some of the off-field distractions that come with being one of the world's most recognisable athletes, many footballers dreamt of doing what he did out on the field, and thus attempted to model their games on him.
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Liverpool superstar Sadio Mane is one of them, saying in 2016: "Some people say I don't smile enough. I think that's wrong. I'm usually smiling and having a laugh in training because I enjoy football. Ronaldinho always did that and I've always tried to copy him."
These sentiments are shared by Marseille playmaker Dimitri Payet, who has always expressed himself when out on the field, and not just for the sake of putting on a show. The Frenchman once hailed Ronaldinho's ability to use skill effectively, which could also be said of the former West Ham United playmaker.
Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho was also heavily influenced by the ex-AC Milan man, as were Manchester United duo Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford, both of whom pride themselves on beating their opponent with skill.
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Rashford has used the move Ronaldinho made famous – the "elastico" – to great effect on numerous occasions in his young career, as can be seen in the video below.
For Chelsea winger Willian, his countryman is not just influential, but his football idol too. In 2019, he said he believes Ronaldinho is the best player in history. To see some more players who were inspired by the Brazilian, click through the gallery above!
Do you think there has been a footballer more influential than Ronaldinho? Let us know in the comments section below.
