The world player of the year and his 'Selecao' teammates did not sparkle as expected and were one of the tournament's huge disappointments as they crashed out in the quarter-finals to France.

"Many people were waiting for a brilliant performance from the team and especially from me, something which did not happen," said the Barcelona star on his personal website.

"I regret having left the World Cup without showing our true capabilities.

"There is nothing I can say to change the past. For this reason I want to say sorry."

Ronaldinho said he was taking a month off on holiday to be able to return fresh for next season to give his best for the national team, five-time winners who had started the tournament as favourites.

"It is not this time that we claimed a sixth world title, but with your help, we will get over the mistakes of 2006 for the World Cup in South Africa in 2010."

Ronnie has borne the brunt of much of the fans' criticism after failing to reproduce the form he showed throughout the season at Barca.

A statue of him in a southern town was burned to the ground just hours after Brazil's elimination by France as fans vented their anger at his insipid display.