Ronaldinho put the 'beautiful' in the beautiful game.

While the Brazilian legend is seldom mentioned in the wider GOAT debate, you can be sure that countless fans and players look back on him as one of the most entertaining footballers to watch.

No matter whether his team were winning, drawing or losing, Ronaldinho was never more than a few minutes away from a smile and the sort of skill that gets an entire stadium on their feet.

Ronaldinho's invention and genius

You could probably show the way Ronaldinho played football to a scientist and watch as they picked it apart for inefficiency, but who cares when he gave us so many memorable moments?

From the dancing goal against Chelsea to closing out his Barcelona career with a bicycle kick, 'El Gaucho' would always laugh in the face of the serious option and produce something far better.

And we really mean the word 'produce' because there was such invention and genius in the way Ronaldinho played football that he couldn't help manufacturing new ways of doing things.

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Using his back for skills

We're not saying that he reinvented the wheel or anything but rather, that he nuanced and finessed skills that came before him into a new and improved arsenal of tricks up his sleeve.

And one of the most unique talents that Ronaldinho would whip out during his prime seasons with Barcelona was the use of his back for everything from first touches to passes.

Cristiano Ronaldo would later take this skill and use it to mug off defenders, but it was Ronaldinho who laid down the groundwork with the sort of showboating you'd expect to see on FIFA Street.

Ronaldinho's assist with his back

However, of all the times Ronaldinho used his spine to show off at the highest level, nothing will ever compare to when it served as a through ball that turned into an assist for Ludovic Giuly.

Yes, you read that right, Ronaldinho really was able to use his back for an assist and no, we're not talking about a random knockdown or anything, we really mean it when we say a through ball.

It really does need to be seen to be believed, so, well, see it to believe it down below:

Ronaldinho's home address is officially The Matrix.

Brilliant, even with his back turned

Sure, it's impossible to say whether Ronaldinho specifically meant the back deflection to find the run of Giuly, who did need to readjust, but he clearly angled for it to head into the penalty area.

And it's almost certain that Ronaldinho deliberately used his back because he was seen pulling off similar skills as a matter of habit during his time in Catalonia.

It's not for mere mortals, it must be said, but trust footballer's chief entertainer to still make the beautiful game into a masterpiece even when his back is turned. We miss you, El Gaucho.