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Featured era: 2005
Ronaldinho: Touch of Gold
“New boots, one ball, and the crossbar, again and again.”
- Featured era
- 2005
- Peak era
- 2005-2006
- Company
- Wieden+Kennedy / Nike
- Category
- Viral Videos
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On Video
Ronaldinho's crossbar advert for Nike
Plays from YouTube when you press play. Views, length and date from YouTube, October 2026.
About This Video
- From:
- 3F
- Added:
- August 20, 2018
- Length:
- 2:45
More Videos4 videos
What Was It?
In this Nike advert, Ronaldinho, then at the peak of his Barcelona years and wearing the club's training kit, is given a new pair of boots, Nike's Tiempo Touch of Gold. He puts them on, juggles the ball, and from the edge of the penalty area appears to volley it against the crossbar again and again, collecting it each time without letting it touch the ground.
Posted online in 2005, it became a trailblazer for viral videos and is credited as the first YouTube video to reach a million views. The ad was made by Wieden+Kennedy.
People have argued ever since about whether it is real, with sceptics claiming the ball's movement suggests green screen and editing. As The Irish News put it, whether or not the cynics are right, "the technique in the video is testament to the Brazilian's brilliance."
Things You Probably Forgot
- The Barcelona training kit
- The Tiempo Touch of Gold boots
- The ball coming back to his feet every time
- Arguing over whether it was faked
The Story
- 2005 Nike's crossbar advert starring Ronaldinho was posted online.
- 2010 Ronaldinho appeared in Nike's "Write the Future" advert, another viral hit.
- 2018 Ronaldinho retired from professional football, prompting fresh looks back at the advert.
Its Legacy
The advert survives on YouTube in re-uploads like this one. It is remembered as a milestone of early YouTube and one of the first great viral football ads.
Memories
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