MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JUNE 05: Ronaldinho of Rest of the World in action during the Soccer Aid 2016 match in aid of UNICEF at Old Trafford on June 5, 2016 in Manchester, England.
Former FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldinho is past his prime on the regular soccer field, but in his first game in India’s Premier Futsal (indoor soccer) League, the 36-year-old Brazilian legend delivered, scoring five goals.
Ronaldinho scored five times for Goa at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, leading his team to a 7-2 victory over Bengaluru. Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes, 41, also scored five goals for Bengaluru.
Every trick Ronaldinho pulled drew gasps from the nearly 7,000 strong audience in the stadium. Of the five goals the former Barcelona and A.C. Milan attacker scored, the fourth seemed to be the most memorable. The opposing goalkeeper was caught up-field and Goa retrieved the ball, sending it to Ronaldinho, who still had one outfield player to beat. The Brazilian brought down the ball from the air with his right leg and chipped his opponent.
Ronaldinho, who also played for Paris Saint-Germain and Queretaro in the Mexican league, will now be leaving the Premier Futsal League, however, due to his commitments as the ambassador of the 2016 Paralympics in Rio.
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PHOTO: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – JUNE 05: Ronaldinho of Rest of the World in action during the Soccer Aid 2016 match in aid of UNICEF at Old Trafford on June 5, 2016 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
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