Ronaldinho's return to football ended in defeat on Sunday as the smiling Brazilian became the latest star name to play in Gerard Pique's Kings League.
Spanish streamer Ibai Llanos, the president of Porcinos, revealed in the week that the former Barcelona forward had signed for his team, who compete in the seven-a-side league which launched in January.
- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
However, Ronaldinho, now 42, was unable to light up the Cupra Arena as he had done Camp Nou throughout his distinguished playing career. He missed two chances to win a game which ended goalless and then turned down the chance to take a penalty because he had no intention of running.
Matches which end level in the Kings League are settled by shootouts -- but not in their ordinary fashion. Instead, in a format familiar with 1990s Major League Soccer viewers, players have five seconds to score a one-on-one, starting from the halfway line.
"I am not going to do any running," Ronaldinho said when the referee explained the setup to him. "Let someone else run."
Porcinos, who are top of the Kings League, lost the shootout 3-1 to PIO FC, a team owned by Mexican Youtuber and streamer Samy Rivera.
The game, which was streamed on Twitch and had a peak audience of over 2.1 million viewers, had begun with Ronaldinho and his teammates arriving in a limo. Players told the 2005 Ballon d'Or winner what a pleasure it was to have him on their side -- as he scrolled on his phone.
They were greeted by a band playing samba music but, after a short warmup, the game began with Ronaldinho on the bench. He came on after five minutes, sending a free kick into the wall with his first touch.
He showed more competitiveness in the second half, berating the referee for a couple of decisions, shooting just wide and then seeing a deflected effort brilliantly saved by the goalkeeper -- all without running, of course.
🤙 ¡@10Ronaldinho ya pisa el césped del CUPRA Arena!#KingsLeagueJ8 #InfoJobs pic.twitter.com/h5KUZconti
— Kings League InfoJobs (@KingsLeague) February 26, 2023
Former Espanyol and Deportivo La Coruna defender Alberto Lopo -- who played against Ronaldinho professionally -- ultimately kept him quiet, though, and was given the player of the match award for his efforts during the 40-minute fixture.
The Kings League is Pique's new venture following his retirement from football last year. It is a 12-team seven-a-side league featuring local amateurs, former players and, occasionally, professionals.
Each team is run by a celebrity, whether that's a streamer like Llanos or ex-pros such as Sergio Aguero or Iker Casillas, and the finals will be played at Camp Nou at the end of March.
Like Ronaldinho, Aguero and Casillas have both donned their boots to play in the league, while LA Galaxy striker Javier Hernandez has also featured for Llanos' Porcinos side during the competition.