Born in Brazil · Nationalities Brazilian, Spanish — Football / taxation / environment / justice / crypto-assets

Ronaldinho

Documented profile covering 10 controversies, including “2009–2015: Unauthorised construction in protected environmental area and civil/administrative judgment” and “2018: Passports seized in Brazil to enforce environmental case”.

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Profile No. 1526 · Updated on 12 October 2026

Portrait of Ronaldinho

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

10Documented controversies
14Sources
1Formal charge · all time1 closed without conviction
0Conviction

I. Documented controversies

01

August 2023

August 2023: Misses two summonses from parliamentary inquiry into pyramid schemes; compulsory appearance requested

No legal proceedings

Ronaldinho failed to attend two summonses from a Brazilian parliamentary committee investigating pyramid schemes and crypto-assets, prompting the committee to announce a request for his compulsory appearance.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Protagonist is a witness

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    Câmara dos DeputadosCPI das Pirâmides Financeiras pedirá à Justiça condução coercitiva de RonaldinhoParliamentary recordVery high reliability

Last verified: 12 September 2026

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02

31 August 2023

31 August 2023: Testimony before parliamentary inquiry — Ronaldinho denies being partner or founder of 18K

No legal proceedings

Before the parliamentary committee, Ronaldinho denied being a founder or partner of 18K Ronaldinho and maintained that his name and image had been used beyond the advertising agreement he had signed.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Protagonist is a witness

Last verified: 12 September 2026

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03

9 October 2023

October 2023: Parliamentary inquiry's final report recommends his 'indiciamento'

No legal proceedings

The final report of the parliamentary inquiry into financial pyramid schemes recommended 'indiciamento' of dozens of individuals, including Ronaldinho, as part of its conclusions on the cryptocurrency and financial marketing schemes examined.

State of the evidence
Documented

Last verified: 12 September 2026

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Case · 3 documented stages

August 2020: Release after five months and conditional suspension of proceedings

Case dismissed / dropped
04

4–6 March 2020

March 2020: Arrest in Paraguay after entering with forged Paraguayan passports

Formally charged

Ronaldinho and his brother entered Paraguay with forged Paraguayan documents and were questioned and subsequently detained during an investigation into the use of false documents.

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    The Guardian / ReutersRonaldinho questioned by police in Paraguay over alleged fake passportNews agencyHigh reliability

Last verified: 12 September 2026

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05

7–9 April 2020

April 2020: Released from prison and placed under house arrest at hotel

Formally charged

After approximately one month in a Paraguayan prison, Ronaldinho and his brother secured transfer to house arrest at a hotel in Asunción in exchange for substantial bail.

Sources · 1

  1. [1]

Last verified: 12 September 2026

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06

24 August 2020

August 2020: Release after five months and conditional suspension of proceedings

Case dismissed / dropped

A Paraguayan judge authorised Ronaldinho to leave the country after approximately five months in custody and under house arrest. He accepted a conditional resolution involving, among other terms, payment of $90,000.

State of the evidence
Documented

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    Associated Press via Los Angeles TimesRonaldinho queda en libertad tras 5 meses preso en ParaguayNews agencyHigh reliability
  2. [2]

Last verified: 12 September 2026

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07

2018–July 2019

2018–2019: Substantial tax debts and restrictions on 57 properties

Civil / administrative proceedings

Brazilian media reported substantial IPTU property tax debts and other liabilities, while 57 properties were subject to judicial or administrative restrictions.

State of the evidence
Documented

Sources · 3

  1. [1]
  2. [2]
    BBC SportRonaldinho has 57 properties embargoed over debtsBroadcastVery high reliability
  3. [3]
    Folha de S.PauloRonaldinho faces financial troublesPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 12 September 2026

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08

September 2019

September 2019: Agreement to pay approximately R$7.5 million in IPTU over instalments

Civil / administrative proceedings

Ronaldinho reached an agreement with Porto Alegre to pay approximately 7.5 million reais in IPTU property tax debts over 60 instalments.

State of the evidence
Settlement

Last verified: 12 September 2026

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09

2018

2018: Passports seized in Brazil to enforce environmental case

Civil / administrative proceedings

As part of efforts to recover the environmental fine, a Brazilian court ordered the passports of Ronaldinho and his brother to be seized.

State of the evidence
Documented

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    BBC SportRonaldinho has 57 properties embargoed over debtsBroadcastVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    Reuters via EuronewsRonaldinho facing financial troubles in Brazil: reportNews agencyHigh reliability

Last verified: 12 September 2026

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10

2009–2015

2009–2015: Unauthorised construction in protected environmental area and civil/administrative judgment

Civil / administrative proceedings

Ronaldinho and his brother were sanctioned for works including a quay and alterations to a property in a protected area of Porto Alegre, without the required environmental authorisations.

State of the evidence
Documented

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    Reuters via EuronewsRonaldinho facing financial troubles in Brazil: reportNews agencyHigh reliability
  2. [2]
    Folha de S.PauloRonaldinho faces financial troublesPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 12 September 2026

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II. Constellation of documented links

No documented link with another published profile for now.

Two profiles are linked when a documented controversy of one names the other. The link points to that controversy and its sources; it does not indicate a personal relationship.

III. Has something changed?

A new court decision, a missing source, a mistake? Tell us what should be updated: every request is read by the editorial team.

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