Ronaldinho to Start in Serie C at 46, Eleven Years After Final Professional Match

Ronaldinho is set to make his return to professional competition this Sunday at 17:30, starting directly in Ravenna’s lineup for the home match against Forli, counting towards matchday 14 of Serie C. The former Brazilian Ballon d’Or winner had not played an official match in over eleven years.

It was the club’s manager, Andrea Mandorlini, who announced Ronaldinho’s starting role on Friday in a press conference. The Brazilian, now 46 years old, expressed his own motivation: “It’s a completely different opportunity, I want to be part of the dream of my friends who work for Ravenna.” Having arrived at the club in June, he had not yet taken to the pitch in his new colours.

The question of his actual level inevitably arises. While Cristiano Ronaldo, five years his junior, was still playing in the World Cup just months ago, Ronaldinho has not competed at professional level since 2013. The 2005 Ballon d’Or winner, who notably played for Paris Saint-Germain and FC Barcelona, approaches this comeback with a measured perspective: “I have won everything I dreamed of. I want to be part of my friends’ dream.”

The event far transcends a third-division Italian match. A special stand named “R10” has been set up for the occasion, a sign that Ravenna is banking on the global stature of its recruitment to take a step forward. The club president had already displayed his ambitions when announcing the transfer, publicly evoking “something big” for the club. Mandorlini, for his part, said he was “happy to be here for the start of this beautiful story”.

It remains to be seen whether the body of a 46-year-old player, inactive for over a decade at the highest level, can meet the demands of a professional championship, even at third-tier level. The answer will come this Sunday in Ravenna.