Barcelona legend Ronaldinho’s son joins English club after leaving La Masia

Joao Mendes, the son of Barcelona and Brazil legend Ronaldinho, has signed for EFL Championship club Burnley after bringing an end to his time at La Masia.

Mendes joined the Barcelona youth setup back in March 2023, at the age of 17 years old, following a successful trial at the club.

However, the young attacking midfielder was never able to cement a place in the Juvenil A setup under former manager Oscar Lopez.

Indeed, the son of the Barcelona great Ronaldinho managed just nine appearances for the team during last season, failing to score or assist in a single match.

Joao Mendes had also been called up to train with the first team on occasions by former Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez.

However, the youngster will not be following in his father’s footsteps and succeed at Barcelona.

Joao Mendes’ contract with the Blaugrana expired on June 30 and an agreement over an extension was not reached, with the 19-year-old now taking his services to England.

Ronaldinho enjoyed great success in Spain, Italy, and France with Barcelona, AC Milan, and PSG, but never played in England.

His son, now, will hope to succeed and prove his worth in the country, having signed for the Lancashire-based outfit.