Rewind back to 2006, and Ronaldinho seemingly had the world at his magical feet. The Brazilian forward had just starred in Barcelona’s Champions League winning campaign, having been crowned the Ballon d’Or winner the previous year, and was widely perceived to be the hottest property in world football.
And it’s not just in Spain where he had earned hero status among fans. In 2002, he played a pivotal role in his country’s World Cup triumph, scoring a spectacular free-kick as the Selecao beat England 2-1 in the quarter-final, and playing in the 2-0 final win over Germany. The name Ronaldinho was already firmly cemented amid the greats of Brazilian football.
But post-football, life has turned sour for the man who also dazzled at PSG and AC Milan, as well as in Catalonia. According to Capology, he made £23million in wages during his professional career, which eventually ended in 2015 following a short stint back home with Fluminese.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, he was also previously with in excess of £70m. But he now reportedly has nothing in the bank, having run into serious trouble with Brazil’s police authorities and Internal Revenue Service.
Ronaldinho dazzled in Europe for Barcelona. (Image: Getty)
In late 2023, it was widely reported that the 43-year-old was bankrupt and owed millions in taxes to the authorities. Due to not being able to pay, officers seized two of his properties to leave the former star with virtually nothing.
Ronaldinho’s personal situation has derived from poor investments as well as legal battles. Back in 2020, he and his brother were arrested after entering Paraguay with forged passports, and taken into custody where they spent 32 days in prison before serving a four-month house arrest.
The pair were eventually released after paying a £153,000 fine. While that financial figure appears pittance given Ronaldinho’s previous earnings, other business interests have not proved fruitful.
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The two-time FIFA World Player of the Year launched his own e-sports team, R10, in 2019. He’s also produced his own brand of organic gin, R-ONE, a wine company called Vino de Campeones, and delved into the music industry.
And yet the man who made 853 appearances and scored 328 goals for club and country combined is now in financial ruin. But it hasn’t deterred his celebrity appeal, with him appearing on the catwalk this week at the Paris Fashion Week event.