Ronaldinho has named the three players he feels have similar traits to himself and admitted those are the stars he enjoys watching from a fan perspective.
The former FC Barcelona icon is widely viewed as one of the greatest players the game has ever seen and was recently named as the left-winger for the historic Ballon d'Or dream team. One of the few players to ever receive a standing ovation from the Santiago Bernabeu faithful while donning the Barcelona shirt.
Therefore, praise from the Brazilian is highly valued and while speaking to Radio Marca he revealed who he thinks has shades of himself in the modern game. "There are many players with the same playing characteristics. [Kylian] Mbappe, Neymar, [Lionel] Messi - they are the players I like to see in matches," Ronaldinho explained.
Pressed on whether Mbappe has any shades of another Brazilian footballing legend in Ronaldo Nazario, Ronaldinho was not so sure: "The truth is that Mbappé doesn't remind me of him." While two of the three players named by the 2005 Ballon d'Or winner are also formerly of Barcelona, Mbappe looks set to go to their fierce rivals Real Madrid.
The French forward is nearing the end of his contract with Ligue 1 titans Paris Saint-Germain and appears unlikely to pen a renewal. Mbappe has been in stellar form this term, with 17 goals and 13 assists in 27 outings, ensuring his stock has only risen further since the summer.
Ronaldinho also waxed lyrical over Messi and recalled what it was like to train alongside the Argentine during the early stages of his career. "The first time I saw him, you could already see the quality he had and that he was going to do something great," the 42-year-old added. "We got along very well. He's a great friend."
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In terms of his former side's fortunes, Ronaldinho explained he is optimistic for Barcelona's future and claimed it was always likely his former teammate Xavi Hernandez would go on to coach. "He was a great friend and teammate.
"You could already see that he was going down this path because from inside the field he already looked at football like a coach, he knows very well how football works."
The highest praise of all was arguably saved for current Barcelona youngster Pedri, who Ronaldinho feels like the sky is the limit for. "He's very good and has a lot of quality. He's going to make history." The 19-year-old is the current holder of the prestigious Golden Boy award, given to the best youth talent in world football.
