Rio de Janeiro, May 15 (IANS): A Brazilian court has rejected an appeal by Ronaldinho and his brother Roberto Assis against a ruling that prevents them from leaving the South American country.

A Superior Court of Justice panel upheld a decision to confiscate the siblings' passports pending the payment of a 2.1 million US dollar fine resulting from a 2015 court case, reports Xinhua news agency.

"We respect the decision, but we do not agree with it and we will appeal," Ronaldinho's lawyer Sergio Queiroz said late on Tuesday.

Ronaldinho and Assis were fined around 2.1 million US dollars after being found guilty of building a fishing platform and a berth on the Guaiba river in southern Brazil without the necessary permits. The structures were located in a heritage-protected area.

A two-time recipient of the FIFA world player of the year award and a World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002, Ronaldinho retired from football in 2018.