Ronaldinho Vows Not to Watch Brazil Matches in Copa America, Gives Heartbreaking Explanation

• Ronaldinho has assured he will not watch Brazil at this summer's Copa America due to a myriad of reasons
• The legendary playmaker, who won the competition in 1999, did not mince words about Brazil's chances
• The Canarinha will kick off their campaign in Group D against Costa Rica, then face Paraguay and Colombia

Legendary Brazilian footballer, Ronaldinho Gaucho, has declared he will not watch matches involving his national team in the upcoming 2024 Copa America in the United States.

According to him and most observers, the atmosphere in the Brazil camp has been underwhelming recently due to a string of lacklustre performances by the five-time World Cup winners.

Brazil's struggles ahead of 2024 Copa America

The latest of these was a 1-1 draw with the USA, a team that had been defeated 5-1 by Colombia just days before, Sportstar reports.

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Although some consider Brazil to be outside favourites for the tournament, their recent form has not been encouraging, even with the presence of Ballon d'Or frontrunner Vinicius Junior.

In 2023, the Canarinha struggled, failing to secure a win in four World Cup qualifiers in October and November. They are currently sixth in the standings, the final automatic qualification spot.

Since Dorival Junior took over as coach in January, the nine-time South American champions have shown some improvement with victories over England and Mexico and a draw against Spain.

However, facing strong opposition like the Lionel Messi-led Argentina and a revitalised Uruguay under Marcelo Bielsa in the Copa America remains a significant challenge.

Ronaldinho vows not to watch Brazil

Given these circumstances, it is not surprising that Ronaldinho is not optimistic about Brazil's chances of winning this year's competition.

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The 44-year-old has stated he will not watch any of the Selecao's matches in the oldest men's football tournament, which runs from June 20 to July 14.

"Things are not going well. Grit is lacking, dedication is lacking, everything is lacking," said Ronaldinho in an interview with the YouTube channel 'Cartoloucos' as quoted by MARCA.

He added: "Everything is missing, drive, joy... They need to play well, so I'm not going to watch any games," he insisted before saying, "I'm going to abandon Brazil."

Why can Argentina win Copa America 2024?

Earlier, Sports Brief examined five reasons why Argentina are favourites to win this year's tournament in the USA.

The defending champions will kick off their campaign against Canada at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on June 20.

Key factors include the outstanding form of their star players, the influence of Lionel Messi, and Brazil's recent inconsistent performances.