FIFA World Cup 2002 winner Ronaldinho, 46, set for unbelievable professional comeback
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "FIFA World Cup 2002 winner Ronaldinho, 46, set for unbelievable professional comeback")
FIFA World Cup 2002 winner Ronaldinho, 46, set for unbelievable professional comeback Photograph: (AFP)
Former World Cup winner Ronaldinho, 46, has signed with Serie C's Ravenna as a shareholder and player. Set for a brief final appearance, he aims to score his career's last goal after a decade away.
Former Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho is set to make a comeback to professional football at 46. The famous footballer had last played in a professional match more than a decade ago in 2015 for Fluminense. He has now signed with Italy's third-division Serie C club Ravenna. The former Ballon d'Or winner (2005) has confirmed that he will play for, even if 'for a few minutes' before being introduced to the fans. Ronaldinho has joined the club as a shareholder and a registered player as well, fuelling the possibilities to him playing in one of the matches.
What did Ronaldinho say about playing at 46?
Ronaldinho was presented to fans amid much fanfare and was asked if he would play a professional match, to which, while talking to Flashscore, he replied: "Yes, it’s true! Let’s say it’s a challenge for me, too. I will certainly play a few minutes in an official match, then we’ll see how I feel."
The former Barcelona and AC Milan player was also asked about his fitness, to which he said: "I’ll do my best. In any case, I will be part of the Ravenna project, and I can tell you there are many new developments to come."
Ravenna president on Ronaldinho signing
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While the news of Roanldinho coming out of retirement got the fans excited, it had every bit of skepticism as well with the footballer being 46. Ravenna president Ignazio Cipriani, however, has quashed the 'marketing gimmick' narrative in plain words.
"This is not a simple facade or a marketing ‘play’ to get people talking about us. Ronaldinho will become a shareholder in Ravenna. That is the central point of the operation," Cipriani said.
"In addition, he has decided to make an immense gift to this city and his new team: he will take to the field for an official professional match with Ravenna. He will play with one clear and romantic objective: to try to score the final goal of his career."
Ronaldinho's career in numbers
The mid-fielder was part of Brazil's fifth and last FIFA World Cup win in 2002 where he scored two goals. He also took part in 2006 edition, but did not score any goal. As for club football, he has played for Barcelona in La Liga, AC Milan in Serie A, and Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1, scoring 70 goals for Barcelona (145 matches), 20 goals for AC Milan (76 matches), 17 goals for PSG (55 matches).
