Ronaldinho, 46, comes out of retirement to play for Italian third-tier club Ravenna FC

Brazilian football icon Ronaldinho is set to make a surprising return to the pitch at the age of 46, signing with Italian Serie C club Ravenna FC. This move marks his re-entry into club football after last playing professionally for Fluminense in 2015.

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Throughout all these years, the friendship we have with the (Cipriani) family and with all the friends, now this opportunity has come up. So I'm extremely happy and we hope things go well.

Ronaldinho, a Ballon d'Or winner, expressed his excitement about the opportunity, emphasizing his long-standing friendship with the club's owner, Ignazio Cipriani. He stated that his return is driven not just by nostalgia but by a desire to positively impact those around him and motivate others to achieve their dreams, just as he did during his illustrious 17-year career.

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We've been friends for many years, so it was something simple, direct and easy. We both want Ravenna to do very well, for things to go well. We share very similar ideas and that's why we're doing this together.

"I hope it (the impact) is in the most positive way possible, right? That others will also be motivated to continue and have the opportunity to fulfil their dreams, just as I have fulfilled mine," Ronaldinho told Reuters. "So I hope it has a positive impact."

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I hope it (the impact) is in the most positive way possible, right? That others will also be motivated to continue and have the opportunity to fulfil their dreams, just as I have fulfilled mine. So I hope it has a positive impact.

Cipriani, who acquired Ravenna FC in 2024 with ambitions of reaching Serie A, sees Ronaldinho's signing as a fulfillment of a personal dream. Inspired by Ronaldinho's distinctive playing style, Cipriani believes the Brazilian's presence will significantly boost the club's visibility and bring considerable joy to the local community. "I think just having him with us is going to make Ravenna a much bigger club. It gave us an extreme level of PR that we wouldn't have had otherwise," Cipriani remarked.

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He just inspired me and my whole generation to fall in love with the sport because of the things he did that were so different from everybody else who played. So it was always a dream and an inspiration to play like him.