Barcelona hero Ronaldinho confirms trip to India, vows to learn cricket from ex-India captain 

Barcelona icon Ronaldinho confirmed he will be visiting Kolkata, India later this month, vowing to learn cricket from former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly.

The one-time Ballon d'Or winner is set to land in Kolkata ahead of the Durga Puja - an Indian festival that will occur between October 20 and October 24. This will be the Brazilian's maiden visit to the city, which has hosted the likes of Lionel Messi and the late Pele and Diego Maradona in the past.

Ronaldinho posted on his official Facebook page (via Business Standard):

"Hello Everybody, I will be doing my maiden trip to Kolkata this mid-October. I know Kolkata has a huge number of Brazil fans and I am very excited to meet them"

He added:

"I know cricket is very popular and this time I want to learn cricket from Bengal's 'Dada' [Sourav Ganguly]. I would also interact with sponsors and many felicitation programs and promote the beautiful game. Let the Samba Magic begin this Durga Puja... Ami tomader bhalo bhashi (I love you all)."

The Barcelona legend is expected to arrive on October 16 and will be in Kolkata for two days before reportedly his next trip to Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The 43-year-old is set to play in a charity football game and will unveil Durga Puja pandals across Kolkata.

---

"He's touched by God" - When Martin Cardetti claimed Barcelona legend Ronaldinho was better than Lionel Messi in his prime

Former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward Martin Cardetti claimed Barcelona icon Ronaldinho was superior to Lionel Messi in his prime back in 2020.

The Brazilian ace established himself as one of the most skilled players of all time as an attacking midfielder. He scored 197 goals and provided 166 assists in 544 appearances across all competitions, playing for the likes of Barcelona and AC Milan.

Cardetti said (via El Crack Deportivo):

“As a coach, for my team, I would choose Ronaldinho at his best over Messi. I shared a year with Ronaldinho, and he is a different player; he’s touched by God. He always had fun; with the ball, he was always doing things, and he practiced a lot so that he could replicate those things in matches.”

Lionel Messi is largely considered to be the greatest player of all time by many. He has scored 819 goals and registered 361 assists in 1041 appearances for club and country. Moreover, the 36-year-old has also won seven Ballon d'Or awards and 44 major trophies, the most in football history.