Football Legend Ronaldinho, 46, Set for Competitive Comeback with Italian Club Ravenna

Brazilian football icon Ronaldinho is poised to make a return to competitive football next month, with the Serie C club Ravenna announcing his participation in a match against local rivals Forli on November 15. The 46-year-old former star for Barcelona and AC Milan, who was a key player in Brazil's 2002 World Cup victory and won the Ballon d’Or in 2005, last competed professionally for Brazilian side Fluminense in 2015. He officially announced his retirement in 2018.

Ravenna had initially signed Ronaldinho in June, and he subsequently acquired a stake in the club, which is under the ownership of his friend Ignazio Cipriani. Cipriani stated that the acquisition was aimed at “to bring the whole city closer to the team”.

While Ronaldinho did not definitively confirm his playing status upon his arrival in Italy in August, he hinted at the possibility of scoring the 300th goal of his career, currently standing at 299. At the time, he remarked, “I’m here to help.”

The highly anticipated derby against Forli will be held at Ravenna’s Stadio Bruno Benelli. Ravenna currently holds the second position in Serie C Group B, accumulating 20 points from 10 matches, trailing league leaders Spezia by eight points.