The legend of Brazilian soccer Ronaldo — three-time FIFA World Player of the Year and former player for clubs such as Barcelona, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid — will participate in the groundbreaking ceremony on March 31 for his latest academy R9, at the new vacation home resort Balmoral Resort Florida, in Haines City, near Orlando, Florida.
The new academy, which will occupy 5 acres, will include a full-sized professional soccer field, three training fields, classrooms, an auditorium, and more, and aims to attract young players from around the world to learn Ronaldo’s special technique. According to the academy and adjacent resort developer, Irish businessman Garrett Kenny of Feltrim Group, the construction of this facility symbolizes the growth of soccer in the U.S. and Florida; “Central Florida is truly an international location, and therefore it is natural that the world’s most popular sport finds a home in Orlando. We are excited that a major star like Ronaldo is opening an academy with us at our new Balmoral resort.”
Ronaldo stated: “We are excited to enter the U.S. market, especially in Florida, where soccer has a great influence in the community. The focus of the Ronaldo Academy goes beyond training athletes; it is about developing young people through soccer. The Balmoral project is a perfect opportunity for us to do this, and I am excited to be with Garrett during the groundbreaking ceremony at the end of March.”
The groundbreaking of the new R9 academy will coincide with the opening of the first phase of the Balmoral vacation home resort; a development of 245 vacation homes and a $5 million amenity area that will include a water park, clubhouse, restaurant, wedding pavilion, and game room with the world’s largest Pac-Man arcade console.
The academy at Balmoral will be part of a larger master development plan, currently expected to include the resort, the academy, as well as a private boarding school and sports complex. The R9 academy is scheduled for completion by December 2017.