João Mendes: Ronaldinho’s Son, the Winger Carving His Own Path in English Football
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Ronaldinho is back in the headlines this weekend, and for once the story is about a football match. The 46-year-old Brazilian great will start his first competitive game in more than 11 years on Sunday 15 November 2026, lining up for Italian third-tier side Ravenna against local rivals Forlì. Manager Andrea Mandorlini confirmed on Friday that Ronaldinho would start, and the World Cup winner will be chasing his 300th career goal at a sold-out Stadio Bruno Benelli. The comeback has put fresh attention on the one person carrying his name into the next generation of the game: his only son, João Mendes.
João Mendes de Assis Moreira, born on 25 February 2005 in Rio de Janeiro, is a 21-year-old winger who has spent his young career trying to be judged on his own football. He came through the youth systems of Flamengo, Vasco da Gama, Cruzeiro and Barcelona, signed for Burnley in August 2024, and joined Hull City’s academy in September 2025. He has never made a senior first-team appearance, and he has spent his whole career so far in academy and under-21 football — a slower, quieter road than his father’s, but one he chose for himself.
João Mendes — Quick Reference Profile
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Full name | João Mendes de Assis Moreira |
| Date of birth | 25 February 2005 |
| Age | 21 (turned 21 on 25 February 2026) |
| Birthplace | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Nationality | Brazilian (holds a Spanish passport; eligible for Brazil or Spain) |
| Parents | Ronaldinho (father) and Janaína Mendes (mother, former professional dancer) |
| Siblings | Only child (reported; no siblings publicly known) |
| Primary role | Footballer — winger / forward |
| Current team | Hull City academy (joined 11 September 2025, one-year deal with an option for a further year) |
| Previous clubs | Flamengo, Vasco da Gama, Boavista-RJ, Cruzeiro (youth); Barcelona youth (March 2023); Burnley U21 (August 2024) |
| Famous anchor | Ronaldinho (father; 2002 World Cup winner, 2005 Ballon d’Or winner) |
| Senior appearances | None publicly recorded |
| Partner | Giovanna Buscacio (influencer; pregnancy announced November 2026) |
| Net worth | Not publicly verified |
| Height | Not publicly verified (some sites list 5 ft 8 in; no primary source confirms it) |
| Social handles | Not publicly verified (personal accounts) |
From Rio’s Streets to a Secret Trial at Cruzeiro
João Mendes was born in Rio de Janeiro at the height of his father’s career with Barcelona. His mother, Janaína Mendes, was a professional dancer on the popular Brazilian television show Domingão do Faustão when she met Ronaldinho. João was named after Ronaldinho’s own father, João de Assis Moreira, who died in a swimming accident when Ronaldinho was a child.
He first took an interest in football at the age of four, when he asked his mother to enrol him in a football school. He passed through the youth set-ups of Flamengo, Vasco da Gama and Boavista-RJ before, at 13, earning a trial at Cruzeiro. At that trial he hid the fact that his father was Ronaldinho from his fellow trialists and from Cruzeiro staff, because he did not want his famous surname to influence the decision. The plan worked: he impressed on merit and signed a six-year training contract with Cruzeiro in 2019. He signed his first Nike contract in May 2019, at 14, with his mother and father present.
La Masia, Burnley and Hull City: Building a Career in England
Barcelona had been linked with João Mendes since 2020, and in January 2023 he finally went on trial at La Masia. The trial did not start well — he initially failed to impress the club’s coaches — but president Joan Laporta, a long-time friend of Ronaldinho, asked for the trial to be extended for further assessment. Mendes improved in the later stages, played in a Barcelona under-19 friendly win over Manchester United on 16 February 2023, and officially signed for Barcelona’s youth team on 2 March 2023.
After about a year and a half in Spain, he surprised the football world by leaving Barcelona for England. In August 2024 he signed a two-year contract with Burnley, where he played for the under-21 team to give himself time to develop in a faster, more physical style of football. Ronaldinho never played in England, which is one reason his son has said he prefers to build his career there. In September 2025 he moved again, joining the academy of Championship club Hull City on a one-year deal with an option for a further year. Hull City confirmed the signing on 11 September 2025, describing a player who had already played regularly for Burnley’s under-21 side.
He plays mainly as a winger or second striker, can also play as an attacking midfielder, and prefers his left foot in the final third — a similar profile to his father, though at a very different stage of his career. He is yet to make a senior first-team appearance, and no senior goals are publicly recorded.
Living With the World’s Most Famous Surname
Being Ronaldinho’s son has opened doors and closed them in equal measure. The Cruzeiro trial story — hiding his identity so coaches would judge only his football — has followed him ever since, and it explains much about how he has handled his career. He has moved clubs on his own record, not on his father’s name, and each move has been a step sideways rather than a leap: Barcelona’s youth team, Burnley’s under-21s, Hull City’s academy.
His father has stayed close but deliberately in the background. Ronaldinho was present when João signed his first Nike deal, and he has spoken publicly about wanting to be more present since his son joined Barcelona. Days before the Ravenna comeback was confirmed, Ronaldinho was pictured at a football charity event in east China, still the centre of attention wherever he goes.
The family is about to grow. In November 2026, João’s partner, influencer Giovanna Buscacio, announced on social media that she was 16 weeks pregnant with their first child, a post that also confirmed the couple live together in Manchester. Reports on 11 and 14 November 2026 noted that Ronaldinho, at 46, is set to become a grandfather. João Mendes is Ronaldinho’s only child, and the baby will be the former Ballon d’Or winner’s first grandchild.
Other footballers’ children have faced the same spotlight on this site — Winston Garland watched his son Darius become an NBA star while building his own coaching career, and the pressure of a famous surname is a familiar story for the next generation of sporting families.
What João Mendes Earns — and Why No Reliable Figure Exists
João Mendes’s net worth is not publicly verified. No reliable outlet has reported his earnings, and no figure is stated here as fact. As an academy player at Hull City on a one-year deal, his income is a youth wage, not a senior professional salary, and any number published by biography aggregator sites would be guesswork.
What is known is the shape of his income: his academy contract, and his Nike association, which began with a contract signed in May 2019 when he was 14. His father, by contrast, is one of the highest-earning footballers of his era, but Ronaldinho’s wealth is not his son’s, and it is not estimated here. For now, João Mendes’s value to a club is potential — a left-footed winger with a famous name, still waiting for a first senior appearance to show what he can do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is João Mendes?
João Mendes de Assis Moreira is the 21-year-old son of Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho and former professional dancer Janaína Mendes. He is a winger who plays for Hull City’s academy, after youth spells at Cruzeiro, Barcelona and Burnley.
Why is Ronaldinho trending in November 2026?
Ronaldinho, 46, is making a competitive comeback after 11 years away. He will start for Italian Serie C side Ravenna against Forlì on Sunday 15 November 2026, in his first competitive match since playing for Fluminense in September 2015. He is chasing his 300th career goal, having scored 299 — 266 at club level and 33 for Brazil.
Which clubs has João Mendes played for?
He came through the youth systems of Flamengo, Vasco da Gama, Boavista-RJ and Cruzeiro in Brazil, joined Barcelona’s youth team in March 2023, signed for Burnley in August 2024, and joined Hull City’s academy in September 2025.
Is João Mendes about to become a father?
Yes. In November 2026 his partner, influencer Giovanna Buscacio, announced on social media that she was 16 weeks pregnant with their first child. Ronaldinho is set to become a grandfather at 46.
Has João Mendes played senior professional football?
No senior first-team appearance is publicly recorded. He has played academy and under-21 football at Barcelona, Burnley and Hull City, and is still waiting for his senior debut.
How tall is João Mendes?
His height is not publicly verified. Some football sites list him at 5 ft 8 in, but no primary source confirms it, so it is not stated here as fact.
Myths vs Facts
Myth: João Mendes got his Barcelona place because of his father. Fact: He initially failed to impress during his January 2023 trial and only earned a contract after an extended assessment, including an under-19 friendly against Manchester United. At Cruzeiro he hid his identity entirely so coaches would judge only his football.
Myth: João Mendes plays for Burnley. Fact: He left Burnley in 2025. He joined Hull City’s academy on 11 September 2025 on a one-year deal with an option for a further year, and that is his current club.
Myth: João Mendes is a teenager. Fact: He was born on 25 February 2005 and turned 21 in February 2026. Older articles that call him 19 date from 2024, when he was 19.
Myth: João Mendes’s net worth is public. Fact: No reliable outlet has reported his earnings. His net worth is not publicly verified, and no figure is stated in this article.
