The unexpected return

This week in Miami, Brazilian legend Ronaldinho – who is in the United States following the 2026 World Cup – surprised the football world when he was officially announced as the new signing for Ravenna, a club in the Italian third division.

The star player, a 2002 World Cup winner with Brazil, was nominated six times for the ‘Ballon d’Or’ award between 2002 and 2007 and went on to win the award in 2005, the year before he played a decisive role in the campaign that led Barcelona to their first Champions League title in 14 years.

The announcement attracted attention for several reasons.

Firstly, because Ronaldinho had already officially retired almost a decade earlier. His last spell in professional football had been with Fluminense in 2015, when he played in just a few matches.

After that, between 2016 and 2017, ‘The Wizard’ took an unexpected turn in his career by competing in futsal tournaments in India – first for Goa 5’s and then for the Delhi Dragons – before confirming his permanent retirement in January 2018, aged 37.

Now, eight years after that announcement, aged 46 and more than a decade since his last professional match, he has surprised everyone by returning to the pitch to play for Ravenna, a club known as “I Giallorossi” (the yellow-and-reds).

For a player who shone at European giants such as Barcelona, Milan and Paris Saint-Germain, as well as Brazilian giants such as Flamengo, Grêmio and Fluminense, the decision to join a modest Italian club – especially after retirement – is, to say the least, unexpected.

A club undergoing a rebuild

Ravenna, based in the city of the same name in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, was founded in 1913 and currently competes in Serie C, the country’s third tier. Although it has previously competed in Serie B – the Italian second tier – the club has never managed to reach the top flight of Italian football and has not been promoted beyond Serie C for almost 20 years.

Over the years, Ravenna has faced serious financial and administrative difficulties, even going so far as to declare bankruptcy in 2012. Since then, however, it has been undergoing a more robust rebuilding process, has re-established itself in Serie C and is now attempting to take a step towards the second tier, driven by new investment and greater visibility.

Impact on and off the pitch

Ronaldinho’s arrival is largely seen as a strategic move within this new phase for the club. Chairman Ignazio Cipriani celebrated the deal: “Signing Ronaldinho is something extraordinary for the club. He was my idol and his impact on football goes far beyond what he achieved on the pitch.” (ESPN)

Manager Andrea Mandorlini recognises the signing as a shrewd marketing decision to attract attention and investment to the club, stating: “With Ronaldinho, we are bound to return to the limelight. Of course, at the moment, I don’t know and can’t quantify exactly what his actual impact will be, but everyone is talking about it.” (Terra)

As part of the marketing campaign, the club has already put a special Ronaldinho shirt on sale online.

However, the question of whether Ronaldinho will actually play in matches remains open – something that Ravenna’s vice-chairman, Ariedo Braida, left up in the air: “He’s a magical player and will have his contract. It’s a great achievement for us. Will he play at 46? It depends, but let’s just say he’ll have his contract.” (ESPN)

Cipriani, however, seems more optimistic about Ronaldinho’s chances of returning to the pitch, saying: “The idea is for him to score his final goal as a professional for Ravenna. We want to take Ravenna to Serie A. It’s a world-renowned club and I think it’ll be a huge celebration when Ronaldinho is there.” (GE)

Although Ronaldinho is no stranger to Italy – having been a key player in the Milan squad for over two years – the Bruno Benelli Stadium will be, by far, the smallest stadium Ronaldinho has called home throughout his career: Ravenna’s ground has just over 12,000 seats. By comparison, at San Siro he played in front of up to 80,000 fans.

Even so, the numbers seem to take a back seat: Ronaldinho is excited at the chance to lace up his boots once again.

Missing the pitch

This transition is something he has clearly been coming to terms with over the years.

In 2022, he even went so far as to say he was completely content with retirement: “I ended my career feeling completely fulfilled. I’ve won every possible title, both individually and as part of a team. I just have to thank God. If anything had been missing, I wouldn’t have stopped; I’d have carried on playing until I’d won it (laughs).” (ESPN)

These words, however, contrast somewhat with what he would say a year later, when he let slip that he missed football to some extent: “The changing room is a wonderful place. You spend a lot of time there, where everything happens – the banter… and actually playing, a full stadium – I miss those little things.” (ESPN)

Now, finally able to satisfy this desire to step back onto the pitch, Ronaldinho says: “I can’t wait to get back to dancing with the ball [...] Football has always been a source of joy for me and I want to bring that same spirit to Ravenna.” (ESPN)

As a result, he becomes – unsurprisingly – by far the oldest player in the squad, overtaking 38-year-old goalkeeper Giacomo Poluzzi.

A historic milestone

This change of scenery also makes Ronaldinho, amongst the four Brazilians who have won the ‘Ballon d’Or’, the one who retired for good at the oldest age.

Ronaldo was the Brazilian winner of the Ballon d’Or who retired earliest. Winner of the award in 1997 and 2002, he ended his career in 2011, aged 34.

Kaká, winner in 2007, bid farewell to football in 2017, aged 35.

Rivaldo, the 1999 winner, had a much longer career and only hung up his boots in 2015, aged 43.

Now, aged 46, Ronaldinho surpasses them all as the Brazilian winner of the ‘Ballon d’Or’ who remained active in professional football for the longest period.

The comparison with Rivaldo

There are some striking similarities between Rivaldo and Ronaldinho: both Brazilians won the 2002 World Cup and the ‘Ballon d'Or’, and both played professionally until their early 40s.

It is worth noting that Rivaldo’s career also took him to some rather unusual destinations in its final stages.

The attacking midfielder played for Bunyodkor in Uzbekistan between 2008 and 2011, and also played for Kabuscorp in Angola in 2012.

In some respects, Rivaldo’s time at these clubs could serve as inspiration for Ronaldinho.

During his two seasons in Uzbekistan, he won three national league titles and two domestic cups, scoring 42 goals in 76 matches. In 2009, he was the league’s top scorer with 20 goals.

He also made his mark in Angola, scoring 18 goals in 21 matches, despite having played for Kabuscorp for only a few months.

On the other hand, this same period brought problems off the pitch, with financial disputes linked to unpaid wages at both clubs.

What to expect at Ravenna

It now remains to be seen what sort of impact Ronaldinho might have at Ravenna.

One thing is certain: he has always had the ability to bring a touch of magic wherever he has played. Throughout his career, the dribbling wizard has scored 235 goals and won a vast collection of trophies – including the Champions League, the World Cup and the ‘Ballon d’Or’ itself.

At present, Ravenna sit third in Group B of Italy’s Serie C, on 73 points, behind Arezzo (80) and Ascoli (77).

Ronaldinho: his career (by club) in figures