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Brazil great Ronaldinho has signed with Italian Serie C club Ravenna at age 46 and more than a decade after retiring. Ronaldinho says “I cannot wait to dance with the ball” and “let the magic begin” The Ravenna club is run by Ignazio Cipriani of the Cipriani restaurant brand. Cipriani says Ronaldinho was his idol as a kid and ”I hope his involvement inspires a new generation of supporters to fall in love with Ravenna.” Ronaldinho last played professionally for Fluminense in 2015. It will mark his second spell in Italy after playing for AC Milan from 2008-11. He won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002 and the Ballon d’Or in 2005.

The International Olympic Committee has committed to paying more than $100 million directly to athletes. It's creating a fund for $10,000 grants they can apply for after competing at a Summer Games or Winter Games. The cash commitment from the IOC comes after growing calls in recent years to pay prize money at the Olympic Games. IOC member and former NBA star Pau Gasol announced the project, which will first be open to nearly 3,000 athletes who competed at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games.

Ben Stokes has refused to give assurances on his long-term future as England cricket captain after his latest disciplinary controversy. He says his focus is purely on the upcoming deciding test of the series against New Zealand. Stokes was commenting publicly for the first time since being dropped pending an investigation into an incident at a nightclub after the first test. He didn’t go into details about the controversy, or whether he considered giving up the captaincy or indeed retiring. Stokes also says he doesn’t feel his relationship with coach Brendon McCullum has deteriorated as a result of the events of the past two weeks.