Football Legend Ronaldo to Rival Medina with New Wave Pool in Brazil

Football icon Ronaldo Nazário is the latest global sports star to enter Brazil’s rapidly growing wave pool scene — and, in doing so, becomes a symbolic “rival” to three-time world surfing champion Gabriel Medina, who is already a partner in another major wave pool project in São Paulo.

Ronaldo has been announced as a partner in the Reserva Beach Club, a high-end wave pool and lifestyle club set to be built in Alphaville, an upscale neighborhood on the outskirts of São Paulo. The project marks the former striker’s first direct investment in a real estate development and further expands his portfolio beyond football.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, Ronaldo has spent the past decade building a business career across sports, media and entertainment. Now, he joins a fast-growing trend in Brazil: large-scale surf facilities designed not only for surfers, but for families and lifestyle-focused members.

The Reserva Beach Club is being developed by BR Soho, a company with more than 30 years of experience in the region. Total investment in the project is estimated at around US$ 200 million. The development is expected to offer approximately 3,500 family membership titles, priced at around US$ 120,000 each. The first phase is scheduled to open in December 2026, with full completion expected in 2027.

At the heart of the development is a 25,000-square-meter wave pool powered by Surf Loch’s WaveBender technology, capable of producing waves up to six feet and accommodating up to 50 surfers per hour. The facility is designed to offer a wide range of wave types, from beginner-friendly options to more performance-oriented settings.

Ronaldo admitted during the launch that he has little surfing experience — joking about remembering his days bodyboarding in Rio — but said he plans to give surfing a try.

"I don’t have much intimacy with surfing, but I have an ease with sports," Ronaldo said. “I’ll ask my daughters for help. I’m a bit afraid of getting hurt, but I’m excited about the project.”

Ronaldo’s arrival into the sector puts him in the same space as Gabriel Medina, who is a partner and ambassador of Beyond The Club, another wave pool complex in São Paulo. Medina’s facility has already attracted high-profile attention, including a visit from 11-time world champion Kelly Slater last year.

While there is no direct competition between the two projects, the presence of Ronaldo adds another heavyweight name to Brazil’s wave pool landscape — a space increasingly shaped by superstar athletes and major investment groups.