Former Barcelona star, Ronaldinho and his brother have been arrested in Paraguay for using fake passports.
The 39-year-old, who won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002, was detained in the Resort Yacht & Golf Club Paraguayo along with his brother Roberto on Wednesday night.
The news was confirmed by Paraguay’s Interior Minister, Euclides Acevedo. The fake passport showed his correct name, birthplace, and birth date, but it falsely indicated that he is a naturalized citizen of Paraguay.
This means that his passport, as well as Roberto’s, said that they were from Paraguay and not Brazil.
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Ronaldinho is currently without a Brazilian passport after having his seized because of an environmental issue in 2018.
An official statement from the Paraguayan police had earlier revealed that Ronaldinho and his entourage had been invited to Paraguay by casino owner Nelson Belotti.
The former Brazil international was expected to hold several publicity events, with the media invited to witness his interaction with fans and dignitaries.
His trip to the South American nation was to promote the charity “La Fundación Angelical,” which provides medical assistance to low-income children, while he was was also going to present his book Genio de la vida (Genius of life).