Ronaldinho, 46, Returns to Professional Football With Italian Third-Tier Club Ravenna as Investor

RAVENNA, Italy — Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho returned to professional football Thursday, Aug. 20, more than a decade after his last competitive match, as he was formally presented as the new number 10 for Ravenna FC, an Italian third-division club, in a beachside ceremony that drew thousands of fans.

The 46-year-old former Ballon d’Or winner attended an induction ceremony in Ravenna, meeting with local supporters as the club officially unveiled him as part of its roster for the 2026-27 season. Ravenna declared the day “Ronaldinho Day” to mark the occasion, and approximately 6,000 fans gathered near the venue on the Adriatic coast, waving flags and cheering as Ronaldinho made his appearance.

According to Colombia One, Ronaldinho will also become a shareholder in the club, combining an investment role with his commitment to potentially contribute on the field. Ravenna club president Ignazio Cipriani, who is part of the family behind the well-known Cipriani restaurant brand, first announced the surprise signing in June, describing the move as part of a broader effort to raise the club’s profile as it competes to climb through Italy’s football pyramid.

Ravenna vice-president Ariedo Braida initially suggested Ronaldinho’s role would be limited strictly to marketing activities rather than actual playing time. “Ronaldinho will do a marketing event with us but will not play for Ravenna in Serie C next season. Also because he’s 46, I wish he could still play,” Braida said at the time, according to Goal.com. He later softened that stance considerably in comments to the Italian news agency ANSA. “Ronaldinho is a timeless champion. He has signed with Ravenna and, for a club like ours, it’s an extraordinary coup. Over the next few days, there will be an event to unveil this extraordinary character. Will he play? We’ll see, but it’s not ruled out,” Braida said.

Speaking to fans and media during Thursday’s presentation ceremony, Ronaldinho struck a similarly open-ended tone regarding his own playing future. When asked about his physical condition, he smiled and replied simply, “I’m fine.” Pressed on when he might actually take the field in a competitive match, he deferred the decision to club leadership. “It depends on the chairman and the manager. I don’t know,” Ronaldinho said.

Ronaldinho also addressed the collaborative spirit behind his decision to join the project, framing the move as rooted primarily in personal friendship rather than a calculated football decision. “I’m very happy to be here with my friends, but let’s wait and see if things go well with the team,” he said, according to Goal.com’s coverage of the beachside ceremony.

Cipriani, for his part, has expressed hope that Ronaldinho’s involvement extends beyond ceremonial appearances. He revealed that he dreams of Ronaldinho scoring his final career goal while wearing a Ravenna shirt, a sentiment Ronaldinho appeared to embrace when the possibility was raised directly. “Wouldn’t that be even better? I came here because we are friends. Now, let’s see how the team does. I came here to help the team,” Ronaldinho said. In earlier comments following the initial June announcement, Cipriani offered a personal reflection on what the signing means to him. “[Ronaldinho] was my idol growing up,” Cipriani said at a presentation event held in Miami in June. “I hope his involvement inspires a new generation of supporters to fall in love with Ravenna.”

Ronaldinho’s career stands among the most decorated in the history of Brazilian football. He was a key contributor to Brazil’s victory at the 2002 World Cup, held jointly by South Korea and Japan, and won the Ballon d’Or in 2005 while at the peak of his powers with FC Barcelona, where he also won two La Liga titles and the 2006 UEFA Champions League. His European career additionally included spells with Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan, the latter from 2008 to 2011, meaning his move to Ravenna marks his second spell playing club football in Italy. Following his time in Europe, Ronaldinho returned to Brazil, playing for clubs including Grêmio and Flamengo before his final professional appearance came with Fluminense in 2015.

In the more than a decade since that last competitive match, Ronaldinho had largely stepped away from formal club football, instead appearing in exhibition matches and legends events around the world rather than pursuing another competitive playing contract. His decision to sign with Ravenna in June therefore came as a significant surprise within the football world, described by Fox Sports as “one of the most unexpected moves in recent football history.”

Ravenna’s first Serie C match of the new season will be an away fixture against Reggiana on Aug. 24, though Ronaldinho is not expected to feature in that opening match, according to Colombia One. It also remains undecided how many matches he might ultimately participate in over the course of the season, with his specific role continuing to be evaluated by the club’s coaching staff under manager Andrea Mandorlini.

Cipriani has emphasized that the broader purpose behind bringing Ronaldinho to the club extends well beyond any individual playing appearances he might make. “This was an operation to bring the whole city closer to the team,” Cipriani said, according to Goal.com’s coverage of the June announcement. “To create a fan base with lots of joy and excitement for this new season.” Following the club’s June announcement of the signing, a special-edition Ravenna FC collaboration jersey featuring Ronaldinho’s involvement sold out rapidly amid the global attention generated by his high-profile arrival.

As Ravenna prepares to open its Serie C campaign this week, questions surrounding exactly when and how often Ronaldinho might actually appear in competitive matches remain unresolved, with both the player and club leadership indicating that any playing time will ultimately depend on decisions made collaboratively between Cipriani and the team’s coaching staff as the season progresses.