Ronaldinho’s 46‑year comeback as Ronaldo and Messi eye retirement

While 41‑year‑old Cristiano Ronaldo and 39‑year‑old Lionel Messi are hinting at ending their careers, 46‑year‑old Ronaldinho is defying age by signing for Serie C side Ravenna, planning to lace up his boots again in front of the club's supporters at a beach festival.

Signing and ownership

Ronaldinho has flown to Italy after signing for third‑tier outfit Ravenna and will be presented in front of six thousand fans at a beach festival on the Adriatic coast. He is also a minority owner of the club, joining an ownership group led by Ignazio Cipriani, the grandson of Giuseppe Cipriani who owns Harry's Bar in Venice.

Cipriani told The Athletic that the move is not window dressing or a marketing stunt. He said Ronaldinho will become a shareholder in Ravenna FC and will take the pitch in an official professional match with the clear aim of trying to score the final goal of his career.

Legacy and other comebacks

The last time Ronaldinho was in action was in 2015 with Fluminense. He previously spent two and a half seasons at AC Milan after leaving Barcelona, adding to his résumé that includes Paris Saint‑Germain, Flamengo, Atlético Mineiro and Querétaro.

He could make his debut for Ravenna in their season opener against Reggiana on Monday, August 24. Ronaldinho becomes the fifth player over the age of 40 to come out of retirement, a group that includes Romario, who returned at 58 to play for America RJ.

Paul Scholes retired in 2011 but returned a year later at 37 to win the Premier League in Sir Alex Ferguson's final season. Jens Lehmann left Stuttgart in 2010 and re‑signed with Arsenal a year later at 41 due to a goalkeeping crisis. Rivaldo resumed playing 15 months after retiring at 43, registering for Mogi Mirim and scoring alongside his son Rivaldinho. Juan Sebastián Verón promised Estudiantes fans he would return if 65 % of stadium boxes were sold, and at 42 he kept that promise by playing in the 2017 Copa Libertadores.

The report was filed by REUTERS/Benoit Tessier By  Matthew Guyett PM GMT+1. Matthew Guyett is a journalist for GiveMeSport, covering news and features primarily focused on the Premier League and European football. He graduated from the University of Essex in 2022 with a Creative Writing degree before joining GiveMeSport as a freelancer in August 2024. His career began at Sportskeeda in 2022, and the article interface shows an Add Us Summary feature, a Here link, a Give option and a De label, highlighting the coming out of retirement and play narrative.

The juxtaposition of Ronaldinho’s romantic return with the imminent retirements of Ronaldo and Messi underscores how football legends can transition from on‑field icons to off‑field investors and ambassadors. It suggests that even as playing days wane, the sport continues to offer former stars avenues to shape clubs and delight fans.