Ronaldinho's son Joao Mendes joins Barca U19s

Barcelona have signed the son of their former Brazilian star Ronaldinho for their Under-19s team, the Catalan club announced on Thursday.

Striker Joao Mendes, 18, has joined the club's youth system, 15 years after his father departed Camp Nou.

Ronaldinho, widely adored for his attacking talent and skill, joined Barcelona from Paris Saint-Germain in 2003, a year after winning the World Cup with Brazil.

The forward won two La Liga titles and the 2006 Champions League at Barcelona, before leaving to join Italian side AC Milan in 2008.

Mendes trained with Brazilian side Cruzeiro's youth teams until last year, when he rescinded his contract.

The forward had been on trial with Barcelona over the past few weeks before agreeing a deal with the Catalan side, of an unspecified length.

Ronaldinho, 42, played in former Barca defender Gerard Pique's "Kings League" competition last weekend in Barcelona.