Ronaldinho’s surprising prison stay: ‘My time there was good’

When Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho was arrested in March 2020 for entering Paraguay with a falsified passport, he feared the worst. The 2005 Ballon d’Or winner, who had graced the world’s biggest stadiums, now faced the prospect of life behind bars in a country he had only visited for a charity event .

“I thought they were going to hit me and do all the terrible things that usually happen in prison,” Ronaldinho later recounted. But the reality of his incarceration defied every expectation .

Instead of hostility, the former Barcelona and AC Milan star was met with awe. Fellow inmates, recognizing the two-time FIFA World Player of the Year, quickly organized a five-a-side match. “They called the guards to organize soccer matches and asked me to do some tricks to entertain them,” he said .

The morning after his arrest, the prison yard transformed. Ronaldinho, kitted out in a white vest and black shorts, led his team of inmates to a resounding 11-2 victory, scoring five goals and assisting the other six . The prize? A pig, which he and his team later feasted on .

Guards and prison officials watched with cameras in hand, capturing the surreal spectacle of a global icon performing keepy-ups in a maximum-security facility . “The guards and some prison officials came to watch the game with the cameras on; everyone had a great day,” he recalled. “I can say that my time there was good” .

Ronaldinho, now 45, spent a month in the high-security prison in Asunción before being released on $1.6 million bail to house arrest at the luxurious Palmaroga Hotel . He and his brother, Roberto de Assis, were eventually released in August 2020 after paying fines totaling $200,000 . The case stemmed from fake Paraguayan passports given to them as a “gift” by a Brazilian businessman .

Despite the ordeal, Ronaldinho’s story illustrates the unique power of football to transcend even the most challenging circumstances. “His talent didn’t just entertain crowds in packed stadiums; it softened hearts and transformed an environment defined by control and punishment,” one observer noted .