With a World Cup and Ballon d’Or under his belt, Ronaldinho had well and truly conquered the sport of football.
So beloved and admired was the Brazilian that Real Madrid fans once even stood up to applaud him after he led Barcelona to a crushing 3-0 victory in the El Clásico back in 2005.
But just three years after officially retiring from the sport, the 46-year-old would end up spending his 40th birthday behind bars in Paraguay.
Along with his brother and agent, Roberto de Assis Moreira, they had been accused of using forged identity documents, including false passports.
Following their 2020 arrest, the pair would spend a month in prison, followed by another four months on bail under house arrest in a hotel in the country’s capital of Asuncion.
“Being arrested in Paraguay was the worst moment, without a doubt,” said Ronaldinho in a new Netflix documentary.
“Why did I have the passport? It was given to me. That person came to my house to hand it over.
“You’re stuck in a situation despite having done nothing wrong. It’s awful.”
Ronaldinho and his brother maintained their innocence.
But it was a bizarre situation, without easy explanation. After all, Ronaldinho – who had represented Brazil in numerous international tournaments – was one of the most recognisable people in the world, and was definitely not from Paraguay.
To top it off, Brazilians didn’t even need a passport to travel to the neighbouring South American country thanks to a trade agreement.
When questioned, the pair said they thought the identity documents were a courtesy gesture, and that they had been tricked.
Eventually they were released without charge – but not before paying £153,000 in damages.
“It was an important trip, and everything happened so fast,” said his brother Assis. “You trust someone, and they don’t keep their word.
“What happened was insane. We never imagined going through something like that, living in a situation like that.”
But as dire as things were while in prison, Ronaldinho – a player beloved as much for his infectious positive energy as for his magical touch – still managed to find the positives.
He joined in futsal matches and a tournament while behind bars, playing with fellow prisoners and guards.
Unsurprisingly, he wiped the floor with them and led his side to an 11-2 victory. The prize for the winning team was a piglet.
“I did make friends,” he said as he reflected on his time in prison. “It was a way to forget what I was going through.”
