Ronaldinho in Lebanon to meet rescuers from Beirut port explosion

The Brazilian sportsman took to Instagram to confirm his Lebanon visit

Star footballer Ronaldinho is visiting Beirut to reportedly pay tribute to the victims of last year's port explosion. AFP

Football star Ronaldinho is in Beirut today.

The Brazilian sportsman, 41, took to Instagram to announce that he was heading to the Lebanese capital on Wednesday.

"Hello friends from Lebanon," he said in a video, which appears to have been filmed in a hotel corridor. "On the 28th [of July] we will be in Lebanon, see you soon!"

It has been reported that Ronaldinho is heading to Beirut to commemorate the victims of the port explosion of August 4, 2020, a devastating blast that caused at least 207 deaths and 7,500 injuries.

As part of what's being called the football star's "in solidarity with Lebanon and the Lebanese" initiative, he is expected to visit the port, where he will lay a wreath for the victims, and visit the Karantina fire bridge and Civil Defence centre.

The Civil Defence has confirmed to The National that Ronaldinho will visit them on Thursday and will meet rescuers from the port explosion.

This will not be the footballer's first trip to Lebanon. In 2017, he was photographed by fans at the nightclub Taiga Beirut.

He's no stranger to the region, as, in May, Ronaldinho received a UAE golden visa, which gives him long-term residency in the Emirates.

Ronaldinho is also not the only celebrity who has visited Lebanon this summer. Last week, actress Lindsay Lohan, who lives in Dubai, was spotted in the town of Hammana.

The Mean Girls star was in town with her Lebanese banker boyfriend Bader Shammas, an assistant vice president at Credit Suisse, and their friends.

The former child star posed for photos with fans after eating at pizzeria, Piazza1140. On her July 17 visit, she was trending at No 1 in Lebanon on Twitter. She did not post any images on her own social media.