Ronaldinho's career began with the Grêmio youth squad. He made his senior side debut during the 1998 Copa Libertadores.[15] 1999 saw the emergence of the eighteen year old Ronaldinho, with twenty-three goals in forty-eight matches, and he put in headlining displays in derbies against Internacional, most notably on 20 June, 1999 in the Rio Grande do Sul State Championship final.[16] In a match winning performance, Ronaldinho embarrassed Internacional's Brazilian legend and 1994 World Cup winning captain Dunga, flicking the ball over his head on one occasion, and leaving him flat-footed in a mazy dribble on another.[16] Ronaldinho achieved further success with Grêmio, winning the inaugural Copa Sul-Minas.[16]
In 2001, Arsenal expressed interest in signing Ronaldinho, but the move collapsed after he could not obtain a work permit because he was a non-EU player who had not played enough international matches.[17] He considered playing on loan with Scottish Premier League side St. Mirren, which never happened due to his involvement in a fake passport scandal in Brazil.
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