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Brazil winger Raphinha has claimed Ronaldinho recently asked Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior for tickets for their 2024 Copa America games. This comes just hours after the 44-year-old blasted the Brazil national team on social media, claiming he would not be watching any of the games or celebrating any victory.
The Selecao will be aiming to win the Copa America later this month. However, they haven't had the best of results in recent months, winning just four out of their last 11 games over the past year. They were also recently held to a 1-1 draw in a friendly against the USA on June 12.
Ronaldinho blasted the national team for their poor performances on Instagram, writing:
"That's it folks, I've had enough. This is a sad moment for those who love Brazilian soccer. It's getting hard to find the spirit to watch the games. This is perhaps one of the worst teams in recent years, it has no respectable leaders, only average players for the majority."
"I've been following football since I was a kid, long before I thought about becoming a player, and I've never seen a situation as bad as this. Lack of love for the shirt, lack of grit and the most important of all: football."
He continued:
"I'll repeat, our performance has been one of the worst things I've ever seen. Such a shame. I therefore declare my resignation. I will not watch any CONMEBOL Copa AmericaTM game, nor celebrate any victory."
However, in a recent pre-match press conference, Raphinha stated (via @MadridXtra on X):
“Ronaldinho says that he will not watch the Brazilian national team? A few days ago, he was writing to Vinicius Junior and asking him to provide him with tickets so that he could come and watch the national team’s match.”
As per Fabrizio Romano, Raphinha also clearly stated he did not agree with Ronaldinho's statement:
“In any case, I was surprised and I don’t agree with his statement”.
Raphinha and Co. will be aiming to get their 2024 Copa America campaign to a good start when they face Costa Rica on June 24. They are in Group D, alongside the latter, Colombia, and Paraguay.
How good was Ronaldinho for Brazil?
Ronaldinho shocked many fans when he announced he would no longer be supporting the Brazil national team due to their lack of results, identity, and passion. Let's take a look at how he fared during his international career between 1999 and 2013.
The 44-year-old was renowned for his creativity, technical skills, and dribbling ability. Adored by many for his love of the game, he established himself as one of the greatest players of all time.
The former midfielder scored 33 goals in 97 appearances for the Selecao, winning the 1999 Copa America, 2002 FIFA World Cup, and 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup. He also had an exceptional club career, registering 197 goals and 167 assists in 547 appearances across all competitions before his retirement in 2015.
