The Athletic’s Adam Crafton wrote in a column today that Cristiano Ronaldo was on the brink of joining Major League Soccer (MLS) after his departure from Manchester United, but the deal ultimately did not materialize.
Original article link: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5624041/2024/07/12/cristiano-ronaldo-united-states-world-cup/
The article states that following Ronaldo’s decision to leave Manchester United in 2022, Sporting Kansas City were keen to bring the Portuguese superstar to their team. They even informed the higher-ups at MLS that they were actively pursuing Ronaldo’s move to America.
Peter Vermes, the Sporting Director of Sporting Kansas City, revealed that the club held meeting after meeting with Ronaldo’s representatives and received positive feedback. At one point, the club’s management was convinced that Ronaldo’s next destination would be either Sporting Kansas City or Al-Nassr.
The piece also divulges the reason behind Ronaldo’s failed move to MLS. According to conversations The Athletic had with several MLS club executives, there was a consensus that due to the number of allegations against Ronaldo and their impact, it was assumed that Ronaldo was unlikely to join MLS.
Note: Although Ronaldo was acquitted by local US courts regarding the allegations against him, it has been 12 years since his last visit to the US. Even during the unveiling of his wax figure at Madame Tussauds New York in November 2022, he was not present. In previous interviews, Ronaldo expressed his desire to participate in the 2026 World Cup, but given that the next World Cup will be hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico, whether Ronaldo can smoothly participate remains uncertain.
