It's an astonishing prospect just to imagine. Could Cristiano Ronaldo (41, Al Nassr) leave the Saudi Arabian stage and share a locker room with Son Heung-min (34, LAFC) in the United States? Claims have emerged that he could move to Major League Soccer (MLS).
Portuguese outlet Record reported on the 3rd (Korea time) that "Ronaldo could leave Al Nassr in June. MLS and Europe are likely destinations. Approaching his 41st birthday, the possibility of Ronaldo leaving Saudi Arabia in the future is rising," the outlet reported.
The outlet explained, "According to what we have learned, Ronaldo is dissatisfied with the situation at Al Nassr and could leave the club in June. The United States' MLS and a return to Europe are being mentioned as possible destinations. Ronaldo's contract includes a €50 million buyout clause (about 86.4 billion won)."
The reason is that Ronaldo is displeased with the club operations overseen by the Saudi sovereign wealth funds. After joining Al Nassr in January 2023, he still has no trophies and is desperate for a championship trophy. But Al Nassr slipped this season after leading the league and conceded first place to Al Ittihad.
A bigger problem arose. Al Hilal signed Karim Benzema, a former Ballon d'Or winner, during the winter transfer window. Benzema had been playing for Al Ittihad but declared a boycott of appearances after being offered an unprecedented re-signing deal with a base salary of 0, then moved to Al Hilal.
Ronaldo became enraged. Although the same sovereign wealth funds manage the clubs, unlike Al Ittihad, Al Nassr — where he plays — is suffering from insufficient investment and he feels this is unfair. In protest, he took the drastic step of refusing to play in the match against Al Riyadh.
Record said, "Al Hilal recruited Benzema, and Al Ittihad brought in Georges Illekena to replace him. Meanwhile Al Nassr had to be satisfied with signing Iraqi midfielder Abdulkarim from Al Zawraa," adding that "Al Nassr captain Ronaldo feels that the sovereign wealth funds are deliberately blocking Al Nassr's player signings to prevent them from winning."
The outlet added, "Ronaldo played a decisive role in raising the stature of Saudi football and, considering his contribution to elevating the league to an unprecedented level, he believes he should receive greater respect. He also accepted the role of ambassador for the 2034 Saudi World Cup," adding that "so Ronaldo refused to play. He showed his protest in action because he judged the club's situation to be unfair."
The possibility of Ronaldo leaving Saudi Arabia has grown larger than ever. Among the scenarios that attracted fans' attention was a potential third stint at Manchester United. He is reportedly prepared to accept a significant pay cut to return to Manchester United. However, according to Team Talk, Manchester United dismissed the rumors, saying they have no intention of reuniting with Ronaldo.
Rather, MLS has emerged as a likely destination. The American stage is where Lionel Messi plays. Ronaldo has on several occasions judged MLS to be of a lower level than Saudi Arabia, perhaps aware of that, but now his mind could change. Inter Miami, where Messi plays, and LAFC, where Son Heung-min plays, are especially being mentioned as candidates.
TopSkill Football UK noted, "With Ronaldo considering an MLS move this summer, LAFC and Inter Miami are emerging as frontrunners. The competition is still fierce!" and highlighted that "it could open a new chapter in the Ronaldo-Messi rivalry, or present an intriguing scenario in which the two legends are reunited at the same club."
Because Messi is there and Inter Miami's designated player (DP) slots are full, LAFC — which has DP space — seems more likely to sign Ronaldo. In particular, Dénis Bouanga, who formed the 'Heung-bu duo' with Son Heung-min, is linked with transfer rumors. With Bouanga reportedly wanting to move to Brazil's Fluminense, if Ronaldo becomes available at an appropriate price on the transfer market, LAFC might take an interest.
If Ronaldo really dons the LAFC jersey, he would pair up with Son Heung-min in the front line. Ronaldo is well known as Son Heung-min's idol and role model. It would be a dream transfer not only for soccer fans but also for Son Heung-min himself.
Portuguese journalist Pedro Soares lent weight to Ronaldo's transfer rumors. He first clarified, "False information is rampant. Ronaldo has not left Riyadh and is not in Portugal. The news that he was returning to Portugal was deliberately spread fake news. He has not missed training."
However, it was true that Ronaldo harbored significant dissatisfaction in Saudi Arabia. Soares said, "Questions began to arise about whether he would play in Friday's match. The club's explanations and actual actions have not convinced him. For now, all possibilities are open," saying Ronaldo could miss another game.
Finally he emphasized, "FIFA's allowing Al Ittihad to register Youssef En-Nesyri after the transfer window closed and permitting him to play against Al Nassr has exacerbated the situation extremely. If a decision had to be made now, Ronaldo would accept one of the offers from Europe or MLS."
[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited), Al Nassr, TopSkill Sports UK, N Sports social media.
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