Brazilian football icon Ronaldinho was pictured with South African cricket great Faf du Plessis in Qatar, where he gifted the cricketer a signed PSG shirt. The pair met in the Gulf country and were guests at the Formula One event, the Qatar Grand Prix.
French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is owned by Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, and the club's former players are often invited to events. The Brazilian received the honor of being at the Lusail Racing Circuit for the Qatar Grand Prix, the 18th race of the 2023 Formula One season.
Royal Challengers Bangalore player Faf du Plessis was also in Qatar for the event. The 39-year-old had undergone surgery on a troublesome elbow injury in Doha last month and remained in the country. He shared the image of himself and Ronaldinho on his Instagram stories with his 4.3 million followers on the social media platform.
Wearing a PSG shirt, the Brazilian posed alongside du Plessis, who held his signed PSG shirt, which sported 'Faf 13' on the back. Du Plessis was also pictured alongside another ex-PSG star, David Beckham, as they watched Max Verstappen win the event.
Ronaldinho is a cricket enthusiast, having recently announced his plans to play the game with Indian cricket legend Sourav Ganguly in Kolkata. The Brazilian legend will visit India next week, emulating Argentine star Emiliano Martinez, who visited Kolkata last December.
Du Plessis is considered one of the greatest fielders of all time due to his athleticism. As a batter, the South African is in the top five of all-time in the Cricket World Cup batting average, with 57.87 runs.
Ronaldinho enjoying life after football
Since he retired from active football, Ronaldinho has spent his time traveling the world in various capacities. His presence in Qatar at this time was warranted by his being a former PSG player, leading to the country inviting him to the Grand Prix.
The two-time FIFA World Player of the Year enjoyed a storied career in which he represented PSG, Barcelona and AC Milan, three of Europe's biggest sides. The Brazilian entertained and dazzled spectators on the pitch with his talent.
Ronaldinho is among a handful of players to have won the UEFA Champions League, Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Cup. He is one of the most popular faces in professional sports worldwide and has 74.6 million Instagram followers.