Ronaldinho's son Joao Mendes signs his first Barcelona contract

Ronaldinho’s son Joao Mendes puts pen-to-paper on his first Barcelona contract after impressing on trial as the 18-year-old signs a deal ‘until next summer’… and now bids to emulate his World Cup winning father’s incredible Nou Camp career

• Ronaldinho’s son has joined Barcelona after agreeing a contract with the club
• Joao de Assis Moreira, known as Joao Mendes, impressed during his trial
• The 18-year-old signed his deal with the club’s La Masia academy on Thursday

The son of Barcelona legend Ronaldinho has put pen-to-paper on his first deal at the Catalan club following a successful trial with their under-19 team.

Barcelona unveiled the winger on Thursday, posing for photos next to academy director Jose Ramon Alexanco, and he will now take his place amongst other young talents seeking to carve out a successful career in Spain.

Joao de Assis Moreira, known as Joao Mendes, follows in his fathers footsteps who made 145 appearances for the LaLiga giants and will join the club’s fabled La Masia academy to hone his craft.

His contract will reportedly run until the summer of 2024 when Mendes would then leave the U-19 team given his age, according to ESPN. They additionally revealed that the club will decide on whether to extend his contract once his current deal expires.

Sportsmail previously reported at the start of February that the 18-year-old was training with the club and undergoing a trial prior to a decision being made on his future.

Ronaldinho’s son Joao de Assis Moreira, known as Joao Mendes (right) has signed a first contract with Barcelona

Mendes will be hoping to follow in Ronaldinho’s (pictured) footsteps at the Catalan giants

Mendes clearly did enough to impress Barcelona’s decision-makers and has been rewarded with a first contract at the Camp Nou.

Ronaldinho established himself as one of the world’s best players during a title-laden tenure at Barcelona, winning the Ballon d’Or in 2005 and mesmerising audiences around the globe for bringing his Brazilian flair to the modern game.

While 42-year-old Ronaldinho played largely on the wing throughout his career, his son is a natural striker and will be targeting a place amongst first-team manager Xavi’s attack.

Mendes, born Joao de Assis Moreira, is following in his dad Ronaldinho’s footsteps by joining

The left-footed forward’s trial was initially not thought to be going well, with club President Joan Laporta calling for patience after Mendes failed to convince in training, but it appears he salvaged a deal in the final stages. 

Ronaldinho currently operates as an ambassador for his former club and will be heavily involved in his son’s development at the club.

The Brazilian World Cup winner recently returned to the pitch in Gerard Pique’s newly-formed seven-a-side league but appeared to struggle in his first outing.

He was involved in the Kings League’s first-ever draw and admitted afterwards, ”I don’t want to run, I let the others run.’

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