Ronaldinho to headline Racing Stars Cup

Ronaldinho is set to play in Monaco’s Racing Stars Football Cup on Wednesday, June 3, as the Principality opens its Grand Prix week with a charity exhibition at Stade Louis-II, according to Monaco Life and the event organizer. The match will pit Barbagiuans Monaco, led by president Louis Ducruet, against the Nazionale Piloti, a team made up of racing drivers. Organizers said the event will begin at 3:30 p.m. and will again combine motorsport, football and celebrity appearances. (monacolife.net) Monaco Life published the announcement on May 19. (billetterie.asmonaco.com) ### Why is Ronaldinho the headline name this year? Ronaldinho is the most prominent football name confirmed so far for the 2026 edition, and Monaco Life said he will represent Barbagiuans Monaco for the first time. The Brazilian’s honors include the 2005 Ballon d’Or, the 2002 World Cup with Brazil and a UEFA Champions League title with Barcelona, according to Monaco Life. Ronaldinho said he accepted quickly when invited. “I didn’t hesitate for a second,” he said, adding that Monaco’s link to motorsport made the occasion especially meaningful because of his long-standing interest in Formula 1, Monaco Life reported. (monacolife.net) ### Who else is expected to take part at Stade Louis-II? Carlos Sainz Jr. and Pierre Gasly are among the Formula 1 drivers expected to appear, while Formula 2 drivers Luke Browning and Oliver Goethe are also listed by Monaco Life. The same report said former footballers Ludovic Giuly, Flavio Roma and Leonardo Bonucci are confirmed for the event. (monacolife.net) Jacky Ickx will serve as the 2026 event ambassador, succeeding Mika Häkkinen, who held that role in 2025, Monaco Life said. Ickx said the appeal of the match was using “energy, talent, and passion” in support of charitable causes. (monacolife.net) ### What exactly is the Racing Stars Football Cup? The Barbagiuans Monaco describe the Racing Stars Football Cup as the second edition of a revived charity event that returned in 2025. The organizer says the format brings together football figures, motorsport competitors, artists and other public personalities, with Barbagiuans Monaco facing a drivers’ team drawn from Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3 and wider international motorsport. (monacolife.net) Monaco Life said the Nazionale Piloti will be seeking a response after last year’s defeat. Louis Ducruet said the 2026 match would again be “a great moment of sport, sharing and emotion,” tied to causes close to the organizers. (monacolife.net) ### Where does the money go this year? Mercy Ships and Les Soins de l’Espoir are the two charities selected for the 2026 edition, according to the Barbagiuans Monaco event page. The organizer said Mercy Ships operates hospital ships that provide free surgical care in Africa, while Les Soins de l’Espoir supports underprivileged children and adults in Southeast Asia, particularly in Vietnam, through medical care, surgery funding and healthcare development. (barbagiuansmonaco.mc) Monaco Life also described the event as centered on solidarity beyond the match itself. That charitable framing has become a defining part of the revived fixture in the run-up to Monaco’s Formula 1 week. (monacolife.net) ### When can people attend, and how much do tickets cost? AS Monaco’s ticketing page lists the Racing Stars Football Cup for Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at 15:30 at Stade Louis-II. The listing identifies the fixture as Barbagiuans Monaco versus Nazionale Piloti. (barbagiuansmonaco.mc) Tickets start at 5 euros, according to the AS Monaco sales page, which says sales are open to the general public and limits purchases to six tickets per order. The match is scheduled before the wider Monaco Grand Prix festivities later in June. (billetterie.asmonaco.com) (monacolife.net)