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Ronaldinho joins Icons roster for Seoul exhibition game

Published: 14 Aug. 2025, 11:29

JIM BULLEY
[email protected]

Ronaldinho is seen during a football charity event in Qingdao, China on Nov. 30, 2024. [XINHUA/YONHAP]

Ronaldinho is the only player ever to win a World Cup, a Copa America, a Confederations Cup, a Champions League, a Copa Libertadores and a Ballon d'Or. But can he add a Nexon Icons title to that palmarès? We’ll find out next month here in Seoul.

Ronaldinho is the latest player to sign on to this year’s Nexon Icons match, an annual legends game that pitches some of the greatest has-beens global football has ever known against each other for a star-studded night of football in western Seoul.

Started last year by game company Nexon, producer of the FC Online and FC Mobile games, the Nexon Icons match attempts to answer the age-old "offense vs. defense" question in the bluntest way possible: By literally having an all-out offense FC Spear take on a purely defensive Shield United.

The winner last year was the defense. Coached by Fabio Cannavaro, Shield United thumped Thierry Henry’s FC Spear 4-1 with goals from Yaya Touré, Clarence Seedorf, Park Joo-ho, Javier Mascherano and Park Ji-sung.

Ronaldinho, having rarely seen the back half of the pitch, will obviously join this year’s FC Spear. Other confirmed participants include Henry, Didier Drogba, Eden Hazard, Seedorf, Franck Ribéry, Kaká, Gianluigi Buffon, Iker Casillas and Rio Ferdinand.

[NEXON]

From the Korean side, Park has reportedly been training for the last year to get more playing time, and local legends Gu Ja-cheol, Seol Ki-hyeon and Lee Bum-young have already signed up to join him.

The 2025 edition of the Nexon Icons Match will be held on Sept. 13-14 at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul.

BY JIM BULLEY [[email protected]]