The 33-year-old finished ahead of compatriot Neymar, the 2011 and 2012 winner, and Argentinean Maxi Rodriguez in the annual vote which has been awarded by El Pais since 1986.

Ronaldinho led his club side Atletico Mineiro to a first ever Copa Libertadores title back in July, defeating Paraguayan outfit Olimpia in the final, and has been a consistent performer for the Belo Horizonte club since joining in June 2012.

Born in Porte Alegre, Ronaldinho - Ronaldo de Assis Moreira - also returned to the Brazilian national side this year, captaining the team in a friendly against Chile in April but was not named in manager Luiz Felipe Scolari's squad for the 2013 Confederations Cup which Brazil won on home soil.

This is the first time that the player has won the South American award but following his move to Barcelona in 2003 he picked up Europe's Ballon d'Or in 2005 and was voted FIFA World Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005.

Ronaldinho has played for Brazil at every level and has 97 international appearances scoring 33 goals following his debut in 1999.

In 2002, he was an integral part of the Brazil side that won the FIFA World Cup in Japan and South Korea and also appeared at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, where Brazil were eliminated at the quarter-final stage by France.

Following a two-year stint with Italian club AC Milan, Ronaldinho missed out on making then coach Carlos Dunga's final squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa before he moved back to Brazil joining Flamengo.

Ronaldinho will be hoping to play in his third FIFA World Cup in 2014 ©Bongarts/Getty Images


























However, concerns over his fitness levels and inconsistent form have seen the attacker become a peripheral figure on the international stage in recent years, but a return to form in 2013 will have increased his chances of appearing at a third World Cup when Brazil will host the showpiece event next summer.

Last month Ronaldinho, who also appeared at two Olympic Games in 2000 and 2008, was named as an ambassador for the city of Belo Horizonte as it prepares to host a number of matches during the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

First awarded by Venezuelan newspaper El Mundo in 1971, Ronaldinho becomes the 10th Brazilian to pick up the South American Footballer of the Year award, putting them one ahead of Argentina with nine.

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