Ronaldinho coming out of retirement to join Italian third division side

Former Ballon d'Or and World Cup winner Ronaldinho is set to come out of retirement aged 46 to play for Ravenna in the Italian third tier, according to reports in the Italian daily Gazzetta dello Sport.

The sports daily said that Ronaldinho was scheduled to sign a deal in Miami on Tuesday and that he was already in the United States for the World Cup.

Consulted by AFP, a source close to the deal confirmed the news.

"I can't wait to get back dancing with the ball again and to write a new story with Ignazio Cipriani (the Italian-American owner of Ravenna) and his entire family," Gazzetta quoted Ronaldinho as saying.

"Football has always been a source of joy for me. I want to bring the same spirit to Ravenna," added the former Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona star.

However, Ravenna vice-president Ariedo Braida, told Italian media that Ronaldinho's signing was more a marketing ploy than a piece of squad-building, and he may never actually play.

"He's a magical player, who will have his registration, that's a huge coup for us," he said.

"Will he play at 46? That depends, but he'll be registered."

Ronaldinho has not played since a two-month stint at Fluminense in 2015.