‘Alien’ Ronaldinho (43, Brazil), who won the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year, has arrived in South Korea.
Ronaldinho touched down at Incheon International Airport on the afternoon of the 25th. At the arrival hall, fans who had heard about his arrival in advance lined up to welcome him. Fans wearing jerseys of the Brazilian national team, Barcelona, and other clubs were ready to sign autographs.
Ronaldinho arrived at 5:45 p.m., dressed comfortably in a hat and sunglasses, and greeted the fans with his trademark smile and hand gesture. He even high-fived some fans. Some fans brought bouquets of flowers and other gifts, but they were unable to reach Ronaldinho, who was heavily guarded.
Ronaldinho, who will be staying at the Fairmont Ambassador Seoul, will be in Korea for 12 days, along with Fabio Cannavaro (49) and Marco Materazzi (49-plus), who will arrive the next day, and will hold various events. They will hold a press conference on May 10 to express their feelings about their arrival in Korea.
Ronaldinho and others are planning to fulfill various schedules in Korea, including youth soccer clinics, YouTube shoots, and Korean cultural experiences. The event will be organized by Lasing City Group, which was founded in 2018 and is engaged in soccer business mainly in Europe, South America, and the Middle East, and Traveling, a travel agency. They will visit Korea again in October and participate in the Legends Match. 꽁머니
Ronaldinho, who visited Korea today, is a superstar who was nicknamed an alien during his playing days. He was loved by many soccer fans not only for his skills, including his spectacular individual skills, but also for his always smiling face.
He started his career in Gremio (Brazil) and played for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Barcelona, AC Milan (Italy), Flamengo, Atletico Mineiro (Brazil), Querétaro (Mexico), and Fluminense (Brazil) before retiring in 2015. His professional record is 266 goals in 699 games.
Along the way, Ronaldinho led Barcelona to the UEFA Champions League (UCL) and Spanish Primera Liga titles (twice), while also winning titles with Gremio, Flamengo, and Atletico Mineiro. He also played for the Brazilian national team (33 goals in 97 games), winning the 2002 World Cup with Korea and Japan, the 1999 Copa America, and the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Along the way, Ronaldinho won the 2005 Ballon d’Or, was named FIFA World Player of the Year 2004-2005, UEFA World Player of the Year 2005-06, World Cup All-Star Team 2002, and UCL Assistants of the Year 2005-06. Only nine other players in the world, including Lionel Messi and Zinedine Zidane, have won a World Cup and UCL title as a player, as well as a Ballon d’Or.
After retirement, he was once jailed in Paraguay for using a fake passport.