Ronaldinho in Keralam — Brazil legends arrive in India for exhibition match in Kochi
Ronaldinho returned to Keralam after a decade, having visited Kozhikode as the brand ambassador of a football tournament in 2016. | Photo Credit: PTI
Ronaldinho returned to Keralam after a decade, having visited Kozhikode as the brand ambassador of a football tournament in 2016. | Photo Credit: PTI
Brazil’s FIFA World Cup and Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldinho returned to India on Tuesday, arriving in Kochi ahead of the exhibition match against Indian football legends on September 23.
Ronaldinho landed at the Cochin International Airport in the afternoon along with the Brazilian legends team, which includes another Ballon d’Or winner, Rivaldo.
Rivaldo and Ronaldinho were part of Brazil’s victorious World Cup-winning team of 2002, the last time the South American giant won the trophy.
The exhibition game on September 23 — organised by Chennai-based Gaammen Sports — is the second iteration of the fixture, with the last such match taking place in Chennai last year. Brazil Legends had won the match 2-1, with Ricardo Oliveira and Alvito netting for Brazil while Bibiano Fernandes pulled one back for India.
Rivaldo and Ronaldinho had both started the match in Chennai.
The game in Kochi will also mark the return of Ronaldinho to Kerala after a decade. In 2016, the former Barcelona and AC Milan striker had come to Kozhikode as the brand ambassador of a football tournament and had narrowly escaped a street accident.
The fixture is expected to set the stage for India to witness a first-ever clash between the senior men’s national teams of India and Brazil on October 3. In the last few weeks, another Brazil legend, Cafu, has visited several cities in India as the country gets ready for the international friendly at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.
Published on Sep 22, 2026
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