Why Barcelona and Brazil icon Ronaldinho celebrated Christmas in new Burnley shirt

The Brazilian shocked social media when he posted a video of him wearing a Clarets kit to his 76.8 million followers on Instagram.

The World Cup winner, who played for the likes of AC Milan, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain during his glittering career, showed off the new strip as one of his festive presents.

The 2005 Ballon D’Or winner has a strong link to the Clarets, given his son Joao Mendes is currently on the club’s books.

The 19-year-old, who is a regular for Burnley’s Under-21 side, made the move to East Lancashire during the summer after leaving Barcelona.

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Mendes played for various clubs including Flamengo and Vasco da Gama before signing his first professional contract with Cruzeiro at the age of 14.

The left-sided player, whose versatility enables him to play in several positions across the pitch, left Cruzeiro in 2022 and officially joined Barcelona in March 2023.

Upon signing his contract with the Clarets, Mendes said: “I feel blessed to be here and I’m excited to take on this opportunity.

“The project is great and although the weather is different to what I’m used to where I’m from in Brazil, I can tell how passionate the fans are about football here and I really like the town.

“The other players have been very receptive, speaking to me and making me feel part of the group. Training has been great so far too.

“I’m a technical and fast player and my main aim is helping the team win games.”