Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho made a dazzling return to the pitch on Sunday during a charity match aimed at raising funds for victims of catastrophic flooding in the country’s southern regions.
The match, which ended in a 5-5 draw, took place at Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Maracana stadium, where Ronaldinho scored twice and provided an assist.
Ronaldinho, whose full name is Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, hails from Rio Grande do Sul, a state severely impacted by weeks of relentless floods that have claimed over 160 lives and left the majority of its towns submerged.
The charity event saw a host of Brazilian football luminaries, including coach Dorival Junior and former right-back Cafu, come together.
“It’s moving to see all these people coming together to help my people,” Ronaldinho said.
“After this immeasurable tragedy, we see the Brazilian people uniting again,” Junior added.
Ronaldinho, now 44, contributed his team’s fourth and fifth goals, while Cafu also made an impact with a goal and an assist. Ronaldinho exited the field with 15 minutes remaining, receiving a standing ovation.
The match also featured women’s football stars, such as Formiga.
Both urban and rural areas in Rio Grande do Sul have been battling an unprecedented climate crisis marked by torrential rains and lethal flooding. Over half a million residents have been displaced, and authorities are still grappling with the full scope of the destruction.
In Porto Alegre, the state capital, floodwaters surged once more on Thursday following additional rainfall.
This disaster represents the fourth extreme weather event in the region within the past year, attributed by scientists to climate change and deforestation.
Governor Eduardo Leite told TV Globo on Saturday evening that rebuilding efforts could span “several months, or even more than a year.”
