Ronaldinho has named the two toughest opponents he faced during his playing career. The Brazilian retired in 2015 after playing for the likes of Barcelona, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain, winning multiple domestic and European titles, along with the World Cup in 2002 with Brazil. He formed many successful partnerships during his career, with none more memorable than the trio he had with Rivaldo and Ronaldo.
The former Brazilian attacking midfielder caused defenders problems with his dribbling and ability to manipulate the ball in tight spaces. As a result, there were not too many opposition players who managed to keep him quiet. Looking back on his career, Ronaldinho named two players as his toughest opponents, and they were both central defenders.
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Ronaldinho’s Toughest Opponents
John Terry and Paolo Maldini
In an interview with ESPN (via Tribuna), Ronaldinho revealed that he found it tough when against defenders at the top level, who closed him down quickly and reduced the space for him to operate like usual. He said:
“The toughest opponents for me are the defenders who are tough in the way they play, where you can’t see a way through.”
The first player that Ronaldinho named as one of his toughest opponents was John Terry. From 2005 to 2006, the former Brazilian playmaker came up against Chelsea six times in the Champions League. He scored twice against the Blues at Stamford Bridge in the second leg of the last 16 in 2005 – a game that included Ronaldinho’s strike that stunned the home crowd after he scored with the outside of his boot after feinting to shoot on the edge of the box. The 44-year-old only scored once in the other five matches against Terry’s Chelsea, though. In the same interview with ESPN, he said:
“Paolo Maldini and John Terry are two of the toughest men I have met on the field.”
Paolo Maldini was the other player that Ronaldinho named as one of the toughest opponents in his career. The Brazilian came up against the Italian centre-back four times when he was at Barcelona. In the 2004/05 Champions League campaign, AC Milan and Barcelona were drawn in the same group, with Milan winning 1-0 at the San Siro and the Catalan club winning the return game at the Camp Nou 2-1, with Ronaldinho scoring the decisive goal. Two years later, the Brazilian came up against Maldini in the semi-finals of the Champions League. Barcelona advanced to the final, winning 1-0 on aggregate over two legs.
Maldini played for 25 years at Milan, winning 26 trophies in the process. This included five Champions League titles, seven Serie A triumphs and five UEFA Super Cups. He is regarded as one of the best defenders in football history and finished third in the Ballon d’Or twice, in 1994 and 2003.
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All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt – correct as of 02/02/25.
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