Ronaldinho has been recalled to the Brazil squad for the forthcoming friendly against Argentina and there are some who might think the call has come six months too late.
When it all went wrong in the second half of that World Cup semi-final against the Netherlands, and coach Dunga looked along his substitutes bench in search of a saviour, was he really more pleased to see the likes of Julio Baptista than Ronaldinho?
With hindsight, the answer appears obvious. Going into the World Cup, though, Dunga was entitled to think differently.
He had been unable to find a way to get Kaka, Robinho and Ronaldinho to function together. Ronaldinho had been given chance after chance and had thrown them away, performing like a pitiful apology for his former self. Once he was jettisoned, results improved and the team seemed to take shape.
There is no doubt about it - the main person responsible for the absence of Ronaldinho from the World Cup was Ronaldinho himself. It was a sporting tragedy.
At the age of 30, the tournament in South Africa could - perhaps should - have been Ronaldinho's definitive statement as an international footballer, and one of the most talented players the game has ever seen.
He is clearly a much more complex character than his happy, smiling image suggests.
For all his natural talent, it is not possible to become so outstanding in a competitive activity like football without a true love for the game. By the same token, such a waste of his peak years can only point to a strong disillusionment.
He went through a mini-slump following Brazil's failure at the 2000 Olympics, a precursor for the massive depression that set in after the 2006 World Cup. Did the responsibility prove too great in Germany?
