Ronaldinho makes sensational comeback at Serie C club Ravenna

On a sunny morning in the Italian city Ravenna the club Ravenna FC announced an unexpected sensation: the 46‑year‑old Brazilian Ronaldinho is expected to step onto the yellow‑red field for the Serie C‑duel against regional rival Forli on 15 November, a return that makes the football world sit up.

Ravenna aims for historic stunt

The news appeared in a two‑minute segment about Serie C, the third tier of Italian professional football. Ravenna FC confirmed that no one less than Ronaldinho will strengthen the club. The Brazilian, who has not played in an official match since 2015, is formally registered.

According to the club Ronaldinho will take part in the Serie C‑duel against Forli on 15 November, a regional opponent that currently occupies fourteenth place. The player has about three weeks to prepare physically for the match.

Although Ronaldinho is formally registered with Ravenna, the club states that it is a one‑off stunt. In a joint Instagram post they wrote: ‘The return is real’ and ‘On 15 November Ronaldinho returns. In yellow and red.’

Ravenna currently sits in second place in the Serie C‑table and is seriously fighting for promotion, while Forli is in fourteenth. The club wrote on Instagram: ‘It will be a historic day for the club and our fans’ and added that the magic returns.

Ronaldinho won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002 and three years later the Ballon d’Or as a player of FC Barcelona. His last official match was in 2015 for Fluminense, after which he largely withdrew from professional football.