Inspiration of the voice in Ronaldinho's ear

The next hurdle: How the gifted new boy from Brazil can teach England a lesson

Brazil's ability to produce so many prodigious talents on such a regular basis has led many to wonder whether there might not be a large laboratory hidden deep in the Amazon rainforest where footballers are cloned. If there was such a place, you could argue that the gods of football had gone too far with their latest prototype. Not content with giving him Ronaldo's speed and ability, not to mention his teeth, they also gave him Ronaldo's name.

Known affectionately as Ronaldinho (little Ronaldo), Ronaldo de Assis Moreira is the new darling of Brazilian football. The fans love him, the management love him, and the players love him. His more senior namesake has even taken him under his wing.

Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and that other superstar of samba football, Rivaldo, are Brazil's latest creative trilogy. The three Rs, as they have become affectionately known. "I can't quite believe I'm here with these guys," Ronaldinho says. "When I was 14, Rivaldo and Ronaldo were already the best players in the world. I have a photo of the three of us taken in a hotel lobby at the time, and I used to love showing it to my friends at school. Now I'm playing alongside my idol, Ronaldo, and I have to pinch myself. Sometimes I want to tell him that he doesn't have to run because I'll do it for him."

Despite his naïve enthusiasm, Ronaldinho is not in Japan and South Korea for the experience alone. It tells you everything about the esteem in which the 22-year-old is held that he was rested for Brazil's final Group C match against Costa Rica, so that the yellow card he had picked up earlier in the tournament would be wiped out in time for his return to the team in the second round.

It is also worth noting that the last thing this Brazil side need is another brilliant forward, and yet Ronaldinho's genius has been accommodated anyway. He has not – yet – been handed the No 10 role he fulfils for his club side, Paris St-Germain, but he has been given the freedom of the right flank to show off his talents.

And so far he has not disappointed. It took him just seven minutes of World Cup football to attempt an audacious 25-yard chip, which missed the target by inches with the Turkish goalkeeper, Rustu Recber, stranded. Then, in the second group match against China, he won the free-kick which Roberto Carlos converted for the first goal, and scored a penalty for his team's third. "I am enjoying myself," he says, "although who wouldn't in this team. We are a close group who just want to have fun for a month."

Ronaldinho is clearly enjoying himself in the Far East, but life has not always been easy for the Porto Alegre boy. He lost a parent at the age of eight and then had to leave home to try his luck in European football two years ago. "It has been tough but everything is better now," he says. "The important thing is that I have made it on the biggest stage of all."

Ever since he was six, Ronaldinho knew he would play in a World Cup. "I was mucking around with a tape recorder when my father grabbed the microphone and started explaining how good a player my brother, Assis, was. Then dad said that I, too, would be great and that I would be in major tournaments one day." Those words of encouragement still mean everything to the youngster, not least because his father, João, died in a freak swimming accident soon after the recording was made. "I never go anywhere without that tape," he says. "I listen to it all the time. It is my inspiration."

Ronaldinho's rise to fame has been inspirational in itself. He made his debut against Latvia in 1999, but was then excluded from the squad by the defensive-minded former coach, Wanderley Luxemburgo. Barely involved in the bulk of the 2002 qualifiers, he was only reintegrated with the international squad in November 2001. Since then, though, he has firmly established himself. "I'm just happy to be in the team," he says. "For a kid like me from the favelas [shanty towns], this is a big honour. In many ways, I am representing a lot of people, but knowing that there are 150 million Brazilians and millions of other fans watching me all over the world doesn't scare me. If anything, it excites me."

So, too, does the prospect of a quarter-final against England. "They are a great team," he says. "One of the favourites in my opinion. It has always been my wish to play against England and there is no better place to do that than in a World Cup. Facing the likes of David Beckham and Michael Owen would be a real honour." There are clearly no airs and graces about this pretender to the samba legacy. "I am funny-looking but charming," he jokes. "That's an OK combination."

Ronaldinho may have a goofy look, but his outlook for the rest of the competition is utterly serious. "In Brazil," he explains, "only winning counts. To us, finishing second is like finishing last."