Football
Sam Marsden, Barcelona correspondent 8y

Ronaldinho weighing offers from MLS and Chinese League

Ronaldinho is weighing up offers from the United States as he considers one final move in his playing career.

The 36-year-old has been without a club since he left Fluminense last September.

His brother, who also acts as his agent, said in March that his next destination will either be Major League Soccer or the Chinese League. 

And despite a one-year hiatus from the game, Ronaldinho still feels he has one more club in him before retirement.

"The idea is to play one more year," he said in an interview with Catalan newspaper Sport. "I've had the chance to play [in the U.S.] many times. I have a lot of friends, many directors at clubs.

"And now I've got the chance to play there again. It's an option, but what I most want is to have the chance to travel, to promote the things I want to do."

Ronaldinho was speaking in New York, where he's spent this week promoting Barcelona's launch of their new U.S. office. 

Barca are one of the eight clubs the Brazilian has represented during his career and he's fondly remembered in the Catalan city as one of the protagonists for the club's success over the last 10 years.

The two-time FIFA World Player of the Year has been without a contract since he played nine matches for Fluminense between July and September of 2015 after leaving Liga MX side Queretaro.

He made a brief appearance in the Indian Premier Futsal League before returning to Brazil in July to take on a role as ambassador of the 2016 Paralympics.

The 2005 Ballon d'Or winner also had praise for his fellow South Americans at Barcelona.

Lionel Messi has obviously played a large part in the Blaugrana's recent achievements and Ronaldinho said he was impressed at how long the Argentine's managed to keep himself at the top.

"It must be really tough [to maintain such high standards over 12 years]," he said. "To keep yourself as the No.1 for as long as Leo has... it's really difficult. He is a phenomenon.

"Leo is the best of his era. Each player has their time. Garrincha, Maradona... Leo's up there with them all."

Messi has been joined at Camp Nou by Neymar since 2013, with the Brazilian international joining his teammate and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo on the podium at the Ballon d'Or in January.

At just 24, he's improving all the time and Ronaldinho expects his compatriot to go on and match Messi's standards.

He added: "I think Neymar will reach Leo's level. He's going to be the best in time.

"He's young and he's won a lot. Like many others, though, he's unfortunate to be around in the era of Messi."

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