Brazilian legend Ronaldinho is set for a remarkable return to professional football after agreeing to a deal with Serie C club Ravenna FC at the age of 46, according to reports in Italy and Britain.
The former Brazil, Barcelona, and AC Milan forward is expected to be officially presented by Ravenna on June 23 in Miami, where the club is also due to unveil details of the agreement.
The move has drawn immediate attention because Ronaldinho has not played a professional match since his short spell with Fluminense in 2015 and formally stepped away from professional football in January 2018. If he does take the field for Ravenna, it will mark one of the most unusual comeback stories in recent football history.
Ravenna, who are preparing for the 2026–27 Serie C season, have positioned the deal as a major statement of intent. The club narrowly missed promotion last season and is trying to raise its international profile under owner Ignazio Cipriani.
Early reports from Italy described the agreement as a playing deal that would bring Ronaldinho back onto the pitch, even if only in a limited role. That version of events quickly spread because of the massive scale of the name involved and Ronaldinho’s long-standing popularity in Italy from his years at Milan.
However, subsequent reports have suggested the arrangement may not be a conventional playing comeback. Instead, it could be a broader role linked to promotion, investment, and the club’s global image, rather than relying on him as a regular first-team player.
Ronaldinho turned 46 in March and last played professionally more than a decade ago, but he remains one of the defining attacking players of the 2000s. He won the 2002 World Cup with Brazil, claimed the 2005 Ballon d’Or, and built a reputation for combining elite production with an improvisational style that made him one of the game’s biggest attractions.
His best years came at Barcelona, where he helped transform the club back into a major European force. He later spent three seasons at AC Milan before returning to Brazil, where he had spells with Flamengo, Atlético Mineiro, and Fluminense, alongside a brief stint in Mexico with Querétaro.
At Barcelona, he played 207 matches, scored 94 goals, and won five trophies, including two La Liga titles and the 2005–06 Champions League. At AC Milan, he made 95 appearances, scored 26 goals, and contributed to their 2010–11 Serie A triumph.
Before his time in Spain and Italy, Ronaldinho played 77 games for Paris Saint-Germain, where he scored 25 goals and won the 2001 Intertoto Cup. He began his senior career at Grêmio, where he scored 68 goals in 141 appearances, winning the 1999 Rio Grande do Sul state championship and the Copa Sul-Minas.
Across his entire senior career for both club and country, Ronaldinho made 796 appearances and scored 299 goals. This includes 699 club games with 266 goals, alongside 97 caps and 33 goals for the Brazil national team.
