List of Famous people born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, commonly known as Ronaldo, is a Brazilian business owner, president of La Liga club Real Valladolid, and a retired professional footballer who played as a striker. Popularly dubbed in Portuguese O Fenômeno, he is widely considered one of the greatest players of all time. As a multi-functional striker who brought a new dimension to the position, Ronaldo has been the influence for a generation of strikers that have followed. His individual accolades include being named FIFA World Player of the Year three times, and winning two Ballon d'Or awards.

Vinícius José Paixão de Oliveira Júnior, commonly known as Vinícius Júnior or Vinícius Jr, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Spanish club Real Madrid and the Brazil national team.

Morena Baccarin is a Brazilian-American actress known for portraying Inara Serra in the sci-fi series Firefly and the follow-up film Serenity; the voice of Black Canary in Justice League Unlimited (2004-06), Vanessa in the superhero comedy film Deadpool and its sequel Deadpool 2; Jessica Brody in the Showtime series Homeland, for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2013; and Dr. Leslie "Lee" Thompkins in the Fox series Gotham.

Thiago Emiliano da Silva, commonly known as Thiago Silva, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a central defender for Premier League club Chelsea and captains the Brazil national team. Known for his pace, aerial ability and leadership skills, Silva is regarded as one of the best central defenders of his generation.

Philippe Coutinho Correia is a Brazilian and Portuguese professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Spanish club Barcelona and the Brazil national team. He is known for his combination of vision, passing, dribbling and ability to conjure curving long-range strikes.

Dona Isabel, nicknamed "the Redemptress", was the Princess Imperial of the Empire of Brazil and the Empire's regent on three occasions. Born in Rio de Janeiro as the eldest daughter of Emperor Pedro II and Empress Teresa Cristina, she was a member of the Brazilian branch of the House of Braganza. After the deaths of her two brothers in infancy, she was recognized as her father's heir presumptive. She married a French prince, Gaston, Count of Eu, in an arranged marriage, and they had three sons.

Dom Pedro II, nicknamed "the Magnanimous", was the second and last monarch of the Empire of Brazil, reigning for over 58 years. He was born in Rio de Janeiro, the seventh child of Emperor Dom Pedro I of Brazil and Empress Dona Maria Leopoldina and thus a member of the Brazilian branch of the House of Braganza. His father's abrupt abdication and departure to Europe in 1831 left the five year-old as emperor and led to a grim and lonely childhood and adolescence, obliged to spend his time studying in preparation for rule. His experiences with court intrigues and political disputes during this period greatly affected his later character; he grew into a man with a strong sense of duty and devotion toward his country and his people, yet increasingly resentful of his role as monarch.

Walker Johnny da Silva Barra de Souza, best known as Johnny Walker, is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently competing in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2013, he gained entrance into the UFC by competing on Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series and also previously competed for Jungle Fight in his native Brazil. As of September 29, 2020, he is #9 in the UFC Light Heavyweight rankings.

Princess Leopoldina of Brazil was the daughter of Emperor Pedro II and Empress Teresa Cristina. She shared the first name of her grandmother, Leopoldina of Habsburg, first Empress of Brazil.

Thiago Santos de Lima is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently signed to the Professional Fighters League (PFL), competing in the light heavyweight division. Prior to signing with the PFL, Santos competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in the light heavyweight and middleweight divisions, and he challenged for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship once in July 2019. A professional competitor since 2010, he gained entrance into the UFC by competing on The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 2.