Ronaldinho Gaúcho returned to professional football at age 46 on Sunday playing for Italian Serie C club Ravenna against Forlì at the Stadio Bruno Benelli, Mundo Deportivo reported.
The fixture marked his first official appearance since September 2015, when he last played for Brazilian club Fluminense, according to El Colombiano. The match drew intense regional attention, prompting the club to erect a temporary 1,800-seat stand named “R10” to expand capacity beyond the usual 5,000 seats, bringing total expected attendance to at least 6,400 spectators, Mundo Deportivo and El Colombiano reported.
Ravenna manager Andrea Mandorlini confirmed ahead of kickoff that the 2005 Ballon d’Or winner would start the match and remain on the pitch for as long as possible. The player arrived in Ravenna on Friday, November 13, 2026, completing a single training session with his new teammates before taking the field for the 14th matchday of the Serie C Group B campaign.
“I want to spend a nice day, I’m happy to be here for the start of this beautiful history. The president dreams of something big for Ravenna; being part of it makes me happy,” Ronaldinho told Sky Sport.
Club president Ignazio Cipriani acquired the team in 2024 with ambitions of advancing the Emilia-Romagna side through the divisions toward Serie A, El Colombiano reported. The club entered Sunday’s fixture positioned second in the Group B standings with 29 points, six points behind leaders La Spezia, while opponents Forlì sat 15th with 15 points, according to DSports and El Colombiano.
“New colors, the same sonrisa. I can’t wait to dance with the ball and write a beautiful new history with Ignazio Cipriani and the Cipriani family,” Ronaldinho said.
The fixture brings Ronaldinho back to Italian competition nearly two decades after his memorable spell with AC Milan. The forward famously scored his first Serie A goal with a header from a Kaká cross against José Mourinho’s Inter Milan on September 28, 2008, in a 1-0 derby victory, as recalled by MARCA and El Colombiano.
“It was special. The Milan tifosi still remind me of it often,” Ronaldinho told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Beyond sporting objectives, the transfer functions as an international marketing push for the club, which has incorporated Ronaldinho’s R10 apparel brand into its official team kit and appointed former Milan executive Ariedo Braida to its leadership structure, according to MARCA and DSports.
When was Ronaldinho’s last official match before joining Ravenna? His final official appearance prior to Sunday came in September 2015 while playing for Brazilian club Fluminense.
Where was the match played and what was the capacity? The fixture took place at the Stadio Bruno Benelli in Ravenna, where organizers installed an additional 1,800-seat temporary stand to accommodate demand beyond the venue’s standard 5,000 capacity, Mundo Deportivo and El Colombiano noted.
What is Ravenna’s league standing in Serie C? Ravenna entered the matchday positioned second in Group B of Italy’s Serie C with 29 points, while Forlì occupied 15th place with 15 points, according to DSports and El Colombiano.
Earlier coverage: Ronaldinho Returns to Professional Football: 46-Year-Old Legend to Debut for Ravenna FC in Italy
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