Brazil Legend Ronaldinho Ends Retirement at 46 to Chase 300th Career Goal

Return To The Pitch

Brazil football legend Ronaldinho is coming out of retirement at the age of 46 to play for Italian Serie C club Ravenna against local rivals Forli on Sunday. The former Barcelona and AC Milan playmaker retired with 299 career goals after his final match for Brazilian side Fluminense in September 2015. He initially joined the Italian third-tier club as an investor in August before deciding to pull on his boots again to score one final goal and reach the milestone of 300. Ravenna manager Andrea Mandorlini confirmed that the forward will start the match as one of the team's three attackers.

Match Preparations

Ravenna owner Ignazio Cipriani stated that the signing is a genuine push to help the player reach his goal rather than a simple marketing stunt. The Brazilian arrived in Italy on Friday and will take part in just one training session with his new teammates before taking the pitch. Ravenna forward Simone Rabbi revealed that the veteran star will also take any penalties awarded during the game. The club's Stadio Bruno Benelli has added a temporary stand to expand its 12,000-seat capacity to handle the massive surge in ticket demand from fans eager to see the 2002 World Cup champion in action.

Context

Ravenna currently sits second in the league table after playing 13 matches this season. Ronaldinho won the prestigious Ballon d'Or award in 2005 during his peak years with Spanish giants Barcelona and also earned back-to-back FIFA World Player of the Year honors. Lower-league Italian football matches rarely attract this level of global attention, but the presence of a legendary global icon has turned a routine league fixture into a major international sports event.