Ronaldinho’s Son Makes Official Debut For FC Barcelona (VIDEO)

The son of FC Barcelona legend Ronaldinho, Joao Mendes, has made what is being considered his official debut for the club as reported by Relevo.

Mendes went on trial with the Blaugrana in January, and was then given a run out with a mix of the Juvenil A and B outfits against Manchester United on the same day that Xavi Hernandez’s first team hosted the Red Devils for a thrilling 2-2 draw in the Europa League playoffs.

Barca announced Mendes’ signing on social media last month, with the youngster also uploading photos of his unveiling and saying he was “very happy and grateful for the opportunity”.

Just over four weeks later, Mendes has lined up for the Juvenil B team for the first time at the MIC tournament being held across Catalonia.

In a clip shared by Relevo on Twitter, Mendes can be seen running onto the pitch at the start of the match while donning a number ‘7’ in traditional Blaugrana colors.

In Barca’s Group E tournament opener held in the coastal town of Lloret de Mar on the Costa Brava, Mendes helped Barca win 3-0 against another U19 team, AFA. As of yet, there is no information on whether Mendes was involved in any of the goals or got on the scoresheet.

Regardless, the Rio-born forward is certain to play a part in two games that the Juvenil B team have on Thursday. At 11:00 AM local time, they face Safor CF Gandia in Santa Coloma de Farners before taking on UE Caldes at 18.00 PM local time in Caldes de Malevella.

Barca should qualify for the knockout phase easily, but then might encounter the U19 teams of other La Liga clubs such as Valencia and Villarreal later on.

Eagle-eyed fans who go along to catch Mendes in action might be able to catch a glimpse of his World Cup winning father, who revealed that his son had signed for Barca at a Mundo Deportivo gala
gala
in January.

Simultaneously, Ronaldinho vowed that he would be in Barcelona more moving forward, and also has been seen on the football field himself in Gerard Pique’s popular King’s League.