Ronaldinho: Former Barcelona Star Spends 40th Birthday In Prison, Expected To Be Locked For 6 Months

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Barcelona legend Ronaldinho clocked 40 on Saturday, March 21, and the former midfield maestro would not have wished for what he was served.

The Brazilian celebrated his birthday in the Paraguayan maximum prison where he is presently held for fake documents. His brother is also detained in the same facility and they both face a jail term of about six months should they be found guilty of the offense levied at them.

This however summed up the plight of the World Cup winner, who went from partying with the likes of Floyd Mayweather to marking a landmark 40th birthday behind bars.

Reports claim the former AC Milan attacker has been nicknamed prisoner 194 as he awaits trial over the cases against him.

He has now spent nearly a month behind bars over an alleged passport fraud and while he is trying to stay positive, things are looking bleak for the Samba Boy. The latest reports indicate he might be spending up to six months behind bars as house arrest was ruled out by the judge as he might potentially flee the country. The former Barca star could also be facing a money laundering case although none has been established against him at the moment.

Despite his woes, one thing that remained constant is the fact that Ronaldinho is a true fan favorite, despite being years from his prime. As a matter of fact, for the better part of Saturday, the internet was rigged with images and videos of the legend at the peak of his powers to mark his birthday.

From that Elvis-like hip swivel against Chelsea in the Champions League to his thunderbolt debut goal for Barcelona, fans remembered it all.

One common phrase which has been used to describe Ronaldinho has been “the man who made us fall in love with football”. He also made some hate the game, in all honesty; his victims will surely not wish to encounter him on the field again.

Despite the debate on the best of all time mostly circulating around Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, veterans of the game argue that Ronaldinho, despite not racking as many stats as the duo, is skill-for-skill, the best footballer anyone has seen.

He also holds the enviable feat of being one of only a handful of players to have ever won a World Cup, Champions League, League title and Ballon d’Or. Not even Messi or Ronaldo can boast of that.