Cristiano Ronaldo almost ended up in the United States

Cristiano Ronaldo signed in Saudi Arabia. The Portuguese can also pay money for this. But he almost switched to MLS.

The 37-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo ends his career in Saudi Arabia. To sign him in victory, the Portuguese must fetch the equivalent of more than 500 million euros in two and a half years. An amount he probably wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else. But the mathematical challenge will certainly be greater elsewhere.

As ESPN reports, there has been interest from the United States. Several teams from Major League Soccer are said to have informed themselves of Ronaldo’s future. The talks with Sporting Kansas City were the most realistic. The offer was so tempting that there were several meetings before Ronaldo finally decided on the victory. The salary package and income from sponsorship deals are said to have been “very close” to that of the Gulf state. Apparently not close enough.

Commenting on his decision, Ronaldo said: “I am excited about a new football league in another country.” He spoke of his “very inspiring vision” for the club: “Together we will help the team to be more successful.” The Saudi Sports Minister received Ronaldo after his transfer. Abdul Fattah bin Turki Al-Faisal wrote on Twitter, “I wish you and your family wonderful experiences in the Kingdom.” Welcome to your new home.

By the way: it was in Sporting Kansas City that “CR7” met two German players. Former Stuttgart’s Eric Toomey and former Cologne’s Robert Fuloder both play for 12th in the Western Conference last MLS season.