Ronaldinho lost everything? Recently, it was revealed in Spain that Brazilian football icon and hero Ronaldinho owed £1.75 million. It was strange that someone with the icon’s level of immense intelligence would find £1.75 million to be too much to spend. But the real issue is not that. The former Barcelona star reportedly only has a pitiful £5.24 in his bank account as of this writing, according to reports in Spain.
To put it mildly, the data are challenging to understand. How did a once-wealthy megastar who won the FIFA Ballon d’Or in 2004 and 2005 suddenly find himself in such dire straits? Nearly every competition Ronaldinho competed in for club and nation resulted in a victory during his illustrious career, which lasted for close to 20 years. The FIFA World Cup, FIFA Confederations Cup, Copa America, UEFA Champions League, and La Liga in Spain are among these competitions.
Before Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo entered the stage, he was widely regarded as the most glamorous football player in the world. However, neither of the superhumans from the younger age was a better showman. The toothy-grinding football superstar was adored by purists everywhere. And you frequently receive mountains of cash in exchange for such veneration. For Ronaldinho, it worked.
In addition to making roughly a million pounds a month while playing for Barcelona, Ronaldinho earned £19 million through sponsorships in only one year, 2006. Later, he relocated to AC Milan, where his monthly salary was £480,000. He afterward joined Flamengo and signed a £100,000 per week contract.
Ronaldinho has endorsement deals with companies like Coca-Cola, EA Sports, Gatorade, Nike, Pepsi, and a few more to add to an already hefty money account. Ronaldinho’s estimated net worth in 2015 was £80–100 million. How can one get off a horse that is so high?
It all started in 2012 when Flamengo was unable to pay his substantial salary. Their weekly salary of Ronaldinho decreased from £100,000 to $24,000. The Brazilian team was unable to pay that amount, hence the contract was shortly terminated. Then, Ronaldinho agreed to a rumored £150,000-per-month contract with Fluminense. Due to nonpayment, that agreement was likewise dissolved after a short period of time.
After he was caught on camera drinking a Pepsi during his introduction with Atletico Mineiro in 2014, his contract with Coca-Cola was canceled. Brazilian officials harshly penalized Ronaldinho earlier this year for erratically erecting a structure in a protected area. It was claimed that the former football player had to refinance his home in order to raise the money needed to pay off his debts.
For his colorful, playboy, and wild lifestyle, Ronaldinho was renowned. That was the main cause of his weight gain before leaving Barcelona. The 38-year-old spent millions on opulent vehicles, including a red and yellow Ferrari 48s, a Bugatti Veyron, a Hummer H2, a black and yellow Lamborghini Aventador, a silver Mercedes Benz E class, and a yellow Porsche Carerra S. In addition to his you-only-live-once way of living, the man also lived a lavish lifestyle. The celebrity also bought opulent homes in Florida, Lake Como, Greece, Brazil, Spain, and Brazil.
According to verified reports, Ronaldinho’s international passport has been taken away by Brazilian authorities until he can pay off his enormous debt. After it was discovered that the football icon has almost little money in his bank account, this was done. Despite being scheduled to play in a charity match in Germany on November 17, Ronaldinho will likely remain in Brazil for the foreseeable future due to financial difficulties. As a result, there are many more questions than there are solutions.
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