news-engine

Did Ronaldinho’s BMO Field legends night spark the Brazil icon’s return to club football? Ronaldinho’s remarkable return to professional football has brought him back to Italy at the age of 46, with the Brazilian legend now part of Ravenna’s ambitious Serie C project. Did his Legends night at BMO Field help spark the comeback? There has been no claim that Ronaldinho’s appearance in Toronto directly led to his decision to return to the professional game. But the timing certainly makes the theory intriguing. On May 8, Ronaldinho played at BMO Field for the first time, joining Brazil Legends against a Toronto FC Legends side featuring Dwayne De Rosario, Steven Caldwell and Doneil Henry. He wore his familiar No. 10, delivered the kind of touches and passes that made him a global superstar and left the field in the 60th minute to a standing ovation, and was not seen again. Just over a month later, Ravenna announced that Ronaldinho had signed with the Italian third-tier club. The move was far more than a nostalgia play: Ronaldinho also became part of the club’s ownership group, led by Ignazio Cipriani, whose ambitions extend well beyond Serie C. Now Ronaldinho is openly talking about scoring one more professional goal. After arriving in Italy, he said he feels in shape and suggested reaching 300 career goals would make the return even more special. He hung up his boots in 2015 with 299 goals for club and country to his name. He has also made clear that whether he actually plays will ultimately be up to Ravenna’s coach and leadership. Did Toronto inspire the comeback? We simply don’t know. What we do know is that Ronaldinho looked like he was having an awful lot of fun at BMO Field. And three months later, he is back in professional football. For those who watched him dance around Toronto’s legends that night, it is hard not to wonder whether something clicked.