Ronaldinho is returning to professional soccer more than a decade after playing his last match. The Brazilian icon, winner of the 2005 Ballon d'Or, is expected to feature for Ravenna in an Italian third division home derby against Forli on Sunday, Nov. 15, at the Stadio Bruno Benelli in Ravenna, Italy. Kickoff is set for 11:30 a.m. ET, with the match streaming on Paramount+.
The 46-year-old, who turns 47 next year, last played professionally in 2015 and formally announced his retirement in 2018. He signed a deal in the summer of 2026 to join Ravenna's roster, and he is expected to play some minutes in the derby. "I'm really looking forward to this moment and coming back to Italy once more," he said ahead of the match.
Ravenna's comeback project is backed by new ownership with deep pockets and global ambitions. The club, which has spent its history in Italy's lower divisions, was acquired in 2024 by Ignazio Cipriani, nephew of Arrigo Cipriani, founder of the iconic Harry's Bar in Venice. The Cipriani Group runs high-end restaurants, private members' clubs such as Casa Cipriani, luxury hotels, event venues and branded residences in cities including New York City, London, Monaco, Miami and Dubai, positioning itself as a global luxury lifestyle and real estate player rather than simply a restaurant group.
As the group moved into soccer, it surrounded itself with established figures from the highest level of the sport. Former AC Milan sporting director Ariedo Braida, who helped build Milan's legacy alongside former CEO Adriano Galliani during Silvio Berlusconi's presidency, is part of the project. Braida left AC Milan in 2013 after 27 years at the club.
Ravenna's head coach is Andrea Mandorlini, who spent several years coaching in Serie A and played for Inter between 1984 and 1991. The ties to Ronaldinho also run through Lorenzo Tonetti, the club's head of external relations. During Ronaldinho's time at AC Milan, which began in 2008 under Braida's tenure, Tonetti owned Giannino, a Milan restaurant that became a second home for many of the club's players and a favored meeting spot for Galliani, who famously negotiated several transfer deals there. One of the waiters working at Giannino in that era was Giuseppe Riso, now one of the best-known agents in soccer, representing players such as Sandro Tonali, Davide Frattesi and Carlos Augusto.
Ronaldinho's return is built on a dual player-investor contract signed in the summer of 2026. His aim is to score one final professional goal while also acquiring an ownership stake in the club. Rather than playing every week, his agreement centers on global marketing and special appearances in marquee matches, such as Sunday's local derby against Forli.
Asked how he has prepared for the comeback, Ronaldinho said: "Today I do a lot of Footy Volley. I'm training differently."
Ronaldinho remains one of the most celebrated players the game has produced. He joined Barcelona in 2003 and became a global superstar there, winning two FIFA World Player of the Year awards, the 2005 Ballon d'Or and the UEFA Champions League in 2006. He moved to AC Milan in 2008 and stayed until 2011. With Brazil, he was a key figure in the national team that won the 2002 World Cup.
If he takes the field on Sunday, it will close a remarkable circle: a player who formally retired eight years ago, and last featured professionally eleven years ago, pulling on boots once more for a third division club with luxury ambitions and a roster of connections from his own glittering past.
