Ronaldinho will start for Ravenna at 46, manager says
The Brazilian last played competitively in 2015 and returns with 299 career goals, one shy of 300.
Ronaldinho will start for Serie C club Ravenna against Forlì on Sunday, returning to competitive football for the first time since 2015 with a chance to pursue his 300th career goal at 46.
“He will play from the start, there's no doubt,” Ravenna manager Andrea Mandorlini said on Friday. “We always play with three forwards. He will be one of the three,” he said.
The Brazilian last played competitively for Fluminense in September 2015 and retired that year with 299 career goals, one shy of 300. He has said he hopes to reach that mark.
Ravenna president Ignazio Cipriani said earlier in 2026, “His objective is romantic, to try to score his last goal.”
Ronaldinho took a more cautious position on the 300th goal in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Right now I'm not thinking about it... then we'll see,” he said.
A temporary 1,800-seat stand called R10 has been added at the Stadio Bruno Benelli for his debut. Ravenna sit second in their Serie C division after 13 matches.
The expected playing time differs between accounts. Yahoo Sports reported that Mandorlini had confirmed about 30 minutes, while Corriere della Sera reported around 15 minutes.
“Then together we will decide how long he plays,” Mandorlini said. Ravenna forward Simone Rabbi has said Ronaldinho will take any penalties the club are awarded, the BBC reported.
Ronaldinho told La Gazzetta dello Sport that he returned “because of the friendship we have with [Ravenna President] Ignazio Cipriani and because of the things we want for the future.”
Cipriani has said Ronaldinho is a Ravenna shareholder as well as a player. In an earlier interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, quoted by ESPN, Cipriani said Ronaldinho “also wants to launch his technical brand, R10, in the style of Michael Jordan, if you will, so Ravenna will be the first team to wear this brand.”
Ronaldinho flew from Barcelona to Forlì on Friday and joined his new teammates for dinner that evening. He was to train with them only once before the match, on Saturday.
His honors include the 2002 World Cup with Brazil, the 2005 Ballon d'Or and the 2006 Champions League with Barcelona. At AC Milan, he scored his first Italian goal against Inter in a derby. His final Milan appearance came against Roma at San Siro on Dec. 18, 2010.
It was not immediately known whether Ronaldinho would play further matches for Ravenna after Sunday.
The derby kicks off at 4.30 p.m. GMT on Sunday at the Stadio Bruno Benelli. ESPN reported that viewers in the United Kingdom can watch free on the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel and Ronaldinho's KICK channel, R10 Comeback.
