Romario, who lifted the World Cup with Brazil back in 1994, has come out of retirement at the age of 58 to play with his son Romarinho for America Football Club
Brazilian icon Romario is set to come out of retirement aged 58 so he can play alongside his son.
Romario helped Brazil win the World Cup back in 1994, earning the Golden Ball award after scoring five goalsat the tournament. He also played for the likes of Barcelona, PSV Eindhoven, Flamengo and Vasco de Gama during his career, having played his last competitive match in 2009.
Romario is currently the president of America Football Club and has registered himself as a player, with Rio de Janeiro's football federation approving the move. His son Romarinho joined America FC earlier this year and Romario revealed on Instagram he wants to fulfil his dream of playing with him.
"I'm not going to compete in the championship, but rather play a few games for the team of my heart and make another dream come true, playing alongside my son," he wrote in a post on Instagram. "What do you think?"
Romario will receive a minimum wage which he will donate back to the club. He has served as their president since his retirement in 2009 and was elected as a senator for Rio de Janeiro in 2014.
Reflecting on his career switch, Romario told The Players' Tribune in 2022: "What do you do after scoring a thousand goals? Even that party didn't last forever. I needed a new target. In football, there wasn't much left for me.
"Everyone is a politician. In our daily lives we all argue and negotiate, you know? When I got into the Brazilian senate, I faced the same problems I'd had as a player, because there are politics in football, too.
"The quarrels I had with coaches, directors and presidents, they were all because of my authenticity. Football never really had any tolerance for a person like me. Even less so today. If I hadn't been so forthright with people, I could have gone to two more World Cups and two more Olympics.
"But that's the price I had to pay for being myself. Do I ever regret anything? Man, I've been so many things: cocky, nasty, a d***head … it's a long list. But you have to judge each action for the moment in which it took place.
"I was a different guy before, and the world of football was a different place. I came from nothing. I had to fight so hard to get to the top, and I ended up pouring out all of my emotions. Whatever I did, good or bad, it came from the heart."
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