Read 3 minutes20 Jun 2026 06:52 PM IST
At the age of 46, Brazilian icon Ronaldinho has announced a stunning return to football. Ronaldinho, whose last appearance in professional football came in September 2015, has signed with Serie C side Ravenna. The 2002 FIFA World Cup winner will be officially unveiled as the club’s latest acquisition at a special event in Miami on June 23.
This will be the second stint in Italy for the former winger, who spent three seasons with AC Milan after leaving Barcelona. He was also part of the 2010–11 Scudetto-winning team for the Rossoneri. Since announcing his retirement, Ronaldinho has made sporadic appearances in exhibition matches.
Speaking about his new association, Ronaldinho said: “New colours, same smile. I can’t wait to dance at the ball again and write a new story with Ignazio and the whole Cipriani family,” he was quoted as saying by Gazzetta. “Football has always been a source of joy for me and I want to bring that same spirit to Ravenna.”
Founded in 1931, Ravenna is a team from Emilia-Romagna — more popular internationally for the Imola circuit in Formula 1 than football. They currently compete in Group B (Middle), the Italian third division, where they finished third in the season just concluded.
As of 2024, the team is owned by US-based Italian businessman Ignazio Cipriani. “I spent 24 years of my life in the United States, but I still consider Ravenna my home. To get Ronaldinho is a fantastic thing for the club; he was my role model, and his influence on football goes beyond what he did on the pitch,” he said of the move.
Despite the curious nature of the announcement, Ronaldinho is unlikely to feature in a competitive fixture for the team as he is on the wrong side of 40. The team’s vice-president, Erido Breda, who was responsible for bringing the 2005 Ballon d’Or winner to AC Milan, initially revealed that the announcement was part of a marketing campaign and did not signal a return to the pitch for Ronaldinho.
However, in a recent interview, he went back on his word ANSAChoosing to keep the mystery alive. “Ronaldinho is a timeless champion. He has signed with Ravenna and it is a fantastic coup for a club like ours. In the next few days, there will be an event to unveil this fantastic figure. Will he play? We will see, but it is not ruled out. As I have already said, he is a timeless champion,” he said.
Should Ronaldinho be declared part-owner of the club, it would not be his first venture into ownership. In 2024, he joined the ownership group of USA third-tier team, Greenville Triumph and their women’s football counterpart, Greenville Liberty SC.