Nigerian Journal Sustainability Research

Ronaldinho, 46, Signs With Italian Serie C Club Ravenna in Shock Football Comeback

2026-08-20
A Decade Later, the Magic Returns

Brazilian football icon Ronaldinho has come out of retirement at age 46, agreeing to join Italian third-division club Ravenna FC more than a decade after he last played competitive football. The move marks the end of an 11-year absence from the professional game, with his final competitive appearance having come for Fluminense back in 2015.

He was formally unveiled by the club at a special event in Miami, where he expressed genuine excitement about the move. "New colors, same smile," he said. "I can't wait to be able to dance on the ball and write a new story together with Ignazio and the entire Cipriani family. Football has always been a source of joy for me, I want to bring that same spirit to Ravenna."

An Ownership Stake, Not Just a Playing Return

The deal comes with an added layer beyond simply lacing up his boots again: Ronaldinho has also become part of the ownership group at Ravenna, joining club owner Ignazio Cipriani, founder of the luxury hospitality and real estate brand Mr. C, in an ambitious project aimed at rebuilding the club's fortunes. Ravenna, founded in 1913 and based in Italy's Emilia-Romagna region, has never played in Serie A, though it won Serie C four times before going bankrupt in 2012. The club finished third in Serie C last season and is now pushing for promotion.

Will He Actually Play?

Initial reporting left real uncertainty over whether this was a genuine competitive return or simply a marketing exercise built around Ronaldinho's global star power. Club vice-president Ariedo Braida offered conflicting signals in separate interviews, at one point telling Italian outlet ANSA that a playing role wasn't out of the question, calling Ronaldinho "a champion" who "has no age," before later appearing to walk that back, saying Ronaldinho would participate in a marketing event with the club but would not actually feature in Serie C matches next season, given his age.

Club owner Cipriani has since pushed back against that skepticism directly, confirming that Ronaldinho will feature in at least one competitive Serie C match, and potentially more, insisting the arrangement is more than pure promotion. Cipriani has framed the signing as a way to bring global attention and investment to his hometown club as it chases a return to Italy's second tier.

A Career Worth the Fanfare

The scale of reaction to the news reflects Ronaldinho's stature in the sport. A World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002, Ballon d'Or winner in 2005, and two-time FIFA World Player of the Year, he built his legend at Barcelona, where he won two La Liga titles and the Champions League in 2006, before a three-year spell at AC Milan that included a Serie A title. This isn't his first return to the pitch after retiring either; he had previously played a handful of exhibition and friendly matches in the years following his initial 2018 retirement, including brief appearances for Colombian clubs Independiente Santa Fe, America, and Deportivo Cali in 2019.

What Happens Next

For now, the exact nature and extent of Ronaldinho's on-field involvement with Ravenna remains somewhat unresolved, caught between the club's public commitment to at least one competitive appearance and lingering skepticism from within the club's own leadership about how much football he'll actually play. What's clear is that his signing has already delivered exactly the kind of global attention and buzz Cipriani's ownership group was hoping for.

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