Barcelona signed Ronaldinho's son João Mendes, 18

This was Ronaldinho's debut in the Kings League 0:23

(CNN) --

Barcelona announced the signing of 18-year-old João Mendes, the son of former club legend Ronaldinho.

Mendes signed a deal on Thursday to join Catalan giants from Brazilian side Cruzeiro.

The teenager, who had previously concealed his identity as the son of the former Brazilian star when he joined the Belo Horizonte team, came to Barcelona for a trial in January before signing with the club permanently.

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Mendes will join Barcelona's famed La Masia academy, which has produced some of the club's biggest talents including Pep Guardiola (now Manchester City manager), Lionel Messi (now playing for Paris Saint-Germain) and the current Barça coach, Xavi.

Mendes is a left-footed striker who prefers to play forward but can operate anywhere along the attacking line.

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The youngster follows in the footsteps of his father, who spent five successful years at the Blaugrana, making 207 appearances and scoring 94 goals.

During his time in Catalonia, Ronaldinho won two LaLiga titles, a Champions League trophy and a host of individual awards, including the 2005 Ballon d'Or.

Ronaldinho has been to Barcelona with his son, as well as making a recent appearance in the Kings League for former teammate Gerard Piqué.

The tournament, launched in December, is a seven-player competition started by Piqué along with other Spanish streamers, celebrities and former soccer players.

Each team was chosen by their respective coaches through a draft, as well as having two additional slots for guests like Ronaldinho joining a team for a single game.

Other notable stars who will play in the league are Sergio Agüero, Javier Saviola, Joan Capdevilla and Iker Casillas.

Ronaldinho in 2017 (Credit: PAU BARRENA/AFP/Getty Images)

Among its peculiar rules—which were voted on by fans via social media—are tiebreaker penalty kicks taken from midfield—think MLS in the '90s—unlimited substitutions, sinbins, and "wildcards."

Both teams draw a "joker" before kick-off, giving them the chance to win a penalty kick at a time of their choosing, send off an opposing player for two minutes, and a two-minute period in which goals are doubled marked.

Teams could even steal the wild card from an opposing team.

Matches are streamed live on Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok.

Ronaldinho's appearance drew more than two million viewers on different streaming sites, according to Esports Charts.

Ronaldinho played for Spanish streamer Ibai Llanos' team Porcinos FC, which had previously seen former Mexican star Javier “Chicharito” Hernández appear.

A moved Chicharito cries after a call with Ibai Llanos 1:29

Barcelona FC Lionel Messi Ronaldinho