Ronaldinho is widely considered one of the most influential footballers of the 21st century, but not many associate him with the cult Hollywood flick Rocky. Indeed, the Brazilian superstar was the idol of many kids around the globe when he broke into the scene in the early 2000s and started bamboozling fans with his unmatched ‘Samba’ aura.
He really took the world of football by storm at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, scoring an infamous free-kick against England and playing a major role in helping Brazil clinch their fifth World Cup title. After that, Ronaldinho was swiftly signed by FC Barcelona and the future, as they, is history.
Before Lionel Messi started weaving his magic to make Barcelona an extremely dominant force, Ronaldinho lit the spark at the Blaugrana to help them get the edge over rivals Real Madrid. He helped them to multiple La Liga titles as well as the Champions League, while also winning the Ballon d’Or in 2005.
A viral picture shows Ronaldinho in Rocky
For some, the Brazilian sensation didn’t even match his ultimate potential due to his party-heavy lifestyle. Not only did he love to have a good time on the pitch, but the Brazilian was addicted to heavy partying that transitioned into drinking – affecting his reputation and his career.
Despite that, Ronaldinho remains an icon for millions of football fans to this day – even after serving a jail sentence. With that being said, it appeared very recently that one of his fans had discovered something very rare about the winger.
In what appears to be the ultimate throwback picture, a very young figure of Ronaldinho can be seen running behind the character of ‘Rocky’ performed by Sylvester Stallone in his hit movie Rocky. He is accompanied by many other kids as well, but the figure of a young Ronaldinho with his glaring eyes and massive teeth caught everyone’s attention.
Dispelling the myth
This got a lot of fans (especially the younger ones) thinking that he might’ve been cast in a cameo appearance as one of the extras in ‘Rocky’. Well, hate to break it to you, but that cannot be the case. For one, Rocky was released in 1976 – which was four years after Ronaldinho was even born!
The Brazilian icon was born in Porto Alegre, Brazil on 21 March 1980 – so it’s literally impossible for him to be an extra for this particular scene in Rocky. Moreover, Ronaldinho spent most of his youth and teenage years in Brazil itself – climbing up the football scene before making waves at Gremio.
It was only in 2001 that Paris Saint-Germain signed him to bring him to Europe, after which he started gaining a lot of popularity all throughout the world of football. Another fan has also clarified that a young Ronaldinho was only photoshopped into that picture of Rocky running with some kids – with a remastered colour version showing the reality that he was only accompanied by some unknown extras.
When it comes to pursuing roles in movies, Ronaldinho has appeared in a few flicks over the years. He was mostly focused on football in his professional career and likes to live a more relaxed lifestyle, which is why he refused to permanently move into the movie line after retirement.
Did Ronaldinho appear in any films?
He has, although, appeared in a few flicks here and there over the last decade or so. Ronaldinho had a short role in the 2018 movie Kickboxer: Retaliation – which was written by iconic action hero Jean-Claude Van Damme. Apart from that, he also had an appearance in the famous sports movie Goal II: Living the Dream’.
Ronaldinho also starred in his own documentary in 2020, which was named ‘Ronaldinho: The Happiest Man in the World.’ This focused on the highs and lows of his football career and a deep dive into his achievement, featuring some commentary from the iconic Brazilian winger himself.
Apart from that, who can forget the legendary Nike advertisement where he’s given a pair of boots to juggle a football and repeatedly hit volleys at the bar? The video of that advert made history on YouTube, becoming the first-ever video to reach 1 million views on the website and playing a key role in its growth in popularity too.
Ronaldinho might not have had any appearance in the original Rocky or any of its sequels, but he didn’t need that for mainstream fame – which he automatically attained by enjoying a truly incredible career full of memorable moments.