Robinho

Name: Robson de Souza
Nickname: Robinho
Born: Sao Vicente ( Brazil )
Age: 22
Date of Birth: 25/01/1984
Height: 1.72m.
Weight: 60.00kg.
Nationality: Brazil

Robson de Souza (born January 25, 1984 in São Vicente, Brazil), nicknamed Robinho (Little Robin), is a Brazilian footballer currently playing for Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team. Robinho has earned praise for his expert use of the pedalada and field speed.He is widely regarded as one of the best young players in the world .

Born in Parque Bitaru, a poor neighborhood of São Vicente, Robinho took to playing football when he had little other. At six, Robinho was taken on by Beira-Mar, a local escolinha, and they took the championship in his first year. He is the best player from Brasileno.

In 1993, at the age of nine, Robinho drew attention by scoring 73 goals for the Portuarios futsal team. Robinho joined the Santos youth program, at the time was overseen by Brazilian football legend Pelé. Pelé brought Robinho into the Santos FC youth dorms, where Robinho received his first regular schedule of three meals a day.

In 2002, Robinho graduated to the Santos first team. His work at the front helped them win the Brazilian National Championships in 2002 and 2004, as well as place second to Boca Juniors in the 2003 Copa Libertadores. Robinho's contributions to Santos attracted a great deal of attention from the top European football clubs.

Robinho's skill drew the offers of several European clubs, but it took the kidnapping of his mother in late 2004 to convince him to leave. On July 31, 2005, Robinho signed with Real Madrid for five years at $30 million and joined his fellow Brazilian internationals Ronaldo, Cicinho, Roberto Carlos and Julio Baptista. He made his La Liga debut on August 28th in a 2-1 victory against Cádiz as a second half substitute for Thomas Gravesen. In his first season, Robinho scored eight goals, but the arrival of José Antonio Reyes has brought the length of Robinho's stay into question. One of his most recent performances though, in the "El Classico" against Barcelona, which he earned the Man of the Match award may have impressed Fabio Capello.

In 2003, Robinho was called up to join the prestigious ranks of the Brazilian national football team. His first internation appearance came in the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup final, where despite his team's loss, Robinho displayed his talent on the international stage.

Robinho played in each game of the 2006 FIFA World Cup group stage, but only started in the final game against Japan.

Like many talented young Brazilian footballers, Robinho has been compared to his nation's great players by both fans and the sports media. Robinho's footwork and mercurial speed has many believing that he can carry on the mantle of Pelé, Garrincha and Ronaldo in Brazilian football.

As of late, fans have also begun to foment a potential rivalry between Robinho and Argentinian striker Lionel Messi, who has been hailed as a wonderkid in football, and therefore a natural counterpart to Robinho. Contrasts between the two include the fact that they each represent rival Latin American football powerhouses (Brazil and Argentina); they play opposite each other in the premiere rival clubs of La Liga (Robinho for Real Madrid and Messi for FC Barcelona); and interestingly, there are the comparisons to the greatest living footballers in the world (Messi has been hailed by Argentinian fans and media as "the new Maradona" and Robinho with Pelé).

Robinho 2006