Watch Ronaldinho score 5 goals in Premier Futsal game (0:15 – 2:45)
The inaugural edition of the Premier Futsal League has garnered a lot of attention in India, especially because of the marquee players in each team. Kochi roped in Michel Salgado, Goa signed Ronaldinho, Bengaluru got Paul Scholes, Mumbai have Ryan Giggs, Kolkata brought in Hernan Crespo whilst Chennai lured in Brazilian futsal hero Falcao.
With some of the biggest names in football playing against each other in this tournament, it was always bound to bring out some spectacular displays of skill, control, accuracy and trickery - and that is exactly what we got from Ronaldinho when his Goa team drubbed Bengaluru 7-2. The Brazilian magician scored a five-goal haul against a hapless Bengaluru team which looked lost and mismatched.
Dinho was rather subdued and silent in his first game against Crespo’s Kolkata team, but he bounced back and more than made up for it in this game. He was far and away the best player on the court and gave the others a masterclass on how futsal should be played.
The 36-year-old trickster is no stranger to futsal. He grew up playing this modified version of football in Brazil, and that greatly influenced his signature style as a professional footballer - the smooth trickery, flair, vision and quick feet which we all know and love.
In futsal, players don’t get as much space or time on the ball, so they must think particularly quickly and have exceptional close control. In the words of the legend himself, "A lot of the moves I make originate from futsal. It's played in a very small space, and the ball control is different in futsal. And to this day, my ball control is pretty similar to a futsal player's control."
Unfortunately, Ronaldinho won’t be participating in the Goa leg of the Premier Futsal League 2016. He was announced as the ambassador of the Rio Paralympics 2016 and has returned to Brazil to fulfil his obligations as such. His place in the Goa 5s squad will be taken up by Cafu.
Cafu is a two-time World Cup winner and a Brazilian legend in his own right. He will be looking to make an impact of his own in the tournament. Either way, one thing is for sure - we are incredibly lucky to have so many greats of the game playing here, and it can only mean good things for the future of football in India.
