FC Barcelona Icon Ronaldinho Announces Boycott of “Embarrassing” Brazil Team.
FC Barcelona legend Ronaldinho has announced that he will not support the Brazil national team during the upcoming Copa America, criticising the squad for having average players and no real leaders.
The former Ballon d’Or winner went viral with comments he made to Cartoloucos, expressing his frustration with the current state of the team. “I’m not going to watch any of the games,” he said. “Everything is missing: determination, joy, not playing well. I’m not even going to watch one game.”
Sharing a clip of his comments on Instagram, Ronaldinho reiterated his stance. “That’s it guys, it’s over for me,” he wrote. “This is a sad moment for those who love Brazilian football. It’s difficult to find the energy to watch the games. This is perhaps one of the worst teams in recent years; it has no respectable leaders, just average players for the most part.”
Ronaldinho continued, “I’ve been following football since I was a child, long before I thought about becoming a player, and I’ve never seen a situation as bad as this. The shirt lacks love, determination and most important of all: football. Our performance has been one of the worst things I have ever seen. A shame. Therefore, I declare here my abandonment. I will not watch any Copa America game, nor celebrate any victory.”
Ronaldinho, who won the Copa America with Brazil in 1999 and the World Cup in 2002, was instrumental in FC Barcelona’s resurgence during his tenure. He helped the Catalan club win two La Liga titles and their first Champions League crown since 2006.
Many in Brazil view Ronaldinho’s generation, which included stars like Rivaldo and Ronaldo, as the last great outfit to represent the five-time World Cup champions.
This summer, a Brazil side led by Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo will attempt to reclaim the Copa America crown in the United States, after losing it to Argentina at the Maracanã in 2021.
