Brazilian legend Romario, the 1994 World Cup champion, announced on Tuesday that he will come out of retirement at the age of 58 to help the club he presides over. This decision comes nearly 15 years after he initially left the world of football. Romario wrote on his Instagram account, "I won’t participate in all the rounds of the tournament, but I will play some matches with my heart’s team and achieve my last dream: to play alongside my son."
Romario will join the attack of América de Rio de Janeiro, a club founded in 1904 that is currently facing an economic crisis, alongside his son Romarinho, who joined the team last March. The former international, who played 70 matches and scored 55 goals, will don the América jersey, which he previously wore briefly in 2009, in the second division of Rio de Janeiro state that begins in May and ends in August.
The team that wins the title in the second division will compete in the first division of Rio de Janeiro state starting in early 2025, joining elite Brazilian clubs such as Flamengo, Fluminense, Vasco da Gama, and Botafogo. Since retiring in 2009 after a long career filled with titles in his home country with clubs like Vasco da Gama, Fluminense, and Flamengo, as well as stints in Europe with PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, and Valencia, Romario has been involved in politics and was elected as a senator in 2015, with his term renewed in 2022.
