India Skipper Shubman Gill Meets Brazil Football Legend Ronaldinho In US
India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill met Brazil football legend Ronaldinho in the United States on the sidelines of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026.
India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill met Brazil football legend Ronaldinho in the United States on the sidelines of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026, which is being co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico. Ronaldinho, the 2002 FIFA World Cup winner with Brazil and former FC Barcelona star, has been a regular presence at matches during the ongoing tournament, especially those involving his national team. A picture shared by Gill on social media showed the right-handed batter posing alongside the Brazilian football icon.
Gill recently featured in the home series against Afghanistan, which India won 3-0, marking his first ODI series win as captain. He was also chosen as the 'Player of the Series', scoring 232 runs in two innings, with the best score of 154.
The series also saw the Indian batting superstar breach the 3,000 ODI run mark and 7,000 international runs.
On the other hand, Ronaldinho has reportedly come out of retirement, completing a shock move to Italy's third-tier club Ravenna in Serie C, more than a decade after his last professional appearance.
The club officials had initially suggested that Ronaldinho's role would be limited to marketing purposes, but since then, they have refused to rule out the possibility of the 46-year-old Brazil legend gracing the football pitch again, as per Goal.com.
As per Gazzetta, as quoted by Goal.com, the former Ballon d'Or winner is set to be presented as the newest member of the club in Miami on June 23 during a special event. The deal marks a return to Italy for the FC Barcelona icon, who appeared for AC Milan from 2008 to 2011. Since his last professional appearance for Fluminense in 2015, Ronaldinho has been a regular in exhibition and legends' matches. Now, he is returning to a professional club environment with Ravenna under coach Andrea Mandorlini.
Questions quickly emerged about what Ronaldinho's role would be, besides promotional and marketing duties. The club's vice-president, Ariedo Braida, initially suggested that the Brazilian would not feature in Serie C matches.
He said, as per Goal.com: "Ronaldinho will do a marketing event with us, but will not play for Ravenna in Serie C next season. Also, because he is 46, I wish he could still play."
However, later on, the vice-president left the door open for a potential return to the pitch. Speaking to ANSA, as quoted by Goal.com, he said, "Ronaldinho is a timeless champion. He has signed with Ravenna and, for a club like ours, it is an extraordinary coup. Over the next few days, there will be an event to unveil this extraordinary character. Will he play? We'll see, but it's not ruled out. As I already said, he is a timeless champion."
Despite all the uncertainty about what exactly Ronaldinho will be doing with the club, the footballer is immensely excited to be joining it. The UEFA Champions League winner with Barcelona and the 2002 FIFA World Cup winner with Brazil is eager to bring his "Joga Bonito" philosophy to the team.
"New colours, same smile," Ronaldinho said. "I cannot wait to be able to dance on the ball again to write a new story together with Ignazio and the whole Cipriani family. Football has always been a source of joy for me; I want to bring the same spirit to Ravenna," he added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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