Agent says former World Cup winner Ronaldinho has retired

Agent says former World Cup winner Ronaldinho has retired
# 17 January 2018 00:29 (UTC +04:00)

The brother and agent of 2005 Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldinho announced Tuesday that the former Brazil and Barcelona playmaker has retired from football, APA reports quoting the USAToday.

Roberto Assis made the announcement to Brazilian media on behalf of the 37-year-old midfielder, who played his last professional match in 2015 for Brazil's Fluminense.

"Ronnie's professional career is over. He wants to be a football ambassador, do charity, and work with his friends in music from now on," Assis told The Associated Press.

Assis hopes to schedule some farewell matches for Ronaldinho after the World Cup in Russia, which ends July 15. The initial plan is to play games in Brazil, Europe and Asia and to also get Brazil's national team involved, Assis said.

Last July, Ronaldinho said on the sidelines of a friendly in Chechnya that was he was "too old" to return to action.

The Brazilian's decorated career also includes one World Cup title (2002), one Champions League victory (2006) and two Spanish league titles with Barcelona, and two FIFA world player of the year awards (2004 and 2005).


Ronaldinho started his professional career at Gremio in southern Brazil in 1998. He left for Paris Saint-Germain in 2001 and was signed by Barcelona two seasons later.

At the Camp Nou, he was the engine of a team that took Barca back to the limelight. However, after a series of club trophies, Ronaldinho's career took a downturn. He was often accused by Brazilian and Spanish media of lacking professionalism, despite his mentoring of a then youthful Lionel Messi.

In 2008, with Messi then leading Barcelona, Ronaldinho left for AC Milan. Despite being part of a team that won Serie A in 2011, he failed to reach his previous heights as a player.

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