Details have emerged about Cristiano Ronaldo’s meeting with an MLS club, where shareholding possibilities were part of the discussions. Before making his move to Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo, 39, nearly joined an MLS team, with a potential ownership stake being considered. In early 2023, Ronaldo departed European football, signing a three-year deal with Saudi club Al Nassr after Manchester United agreed to terminate his contract. This move made the Portuguese star the highest-paid player in world football, reportedly earning £177 million per year with the Saudi Pro League side.
And things could have been very different if he had accepted an offer from Sporting Kansas City. Sporting KC coach Peter Vermes told the Kansas City Star that the club had several meetings with Ronaldo’s senior representatives before his move to Saudi Arabia and stated that negotiations had “gained momentum”. The Athletic reports that at the time MLS had an internal database of 50 players who would add the most value to the league if recruited, with Lionel Messi and Ronaldo placed first and second, and Kylian Mbappe third. According to the report, Messi had not yet joined Inter Miami when Sporting KC began negotiations with Ronaldo.
The MLS side were said to be “serious” with their approach and suggested “creative packages that would involve cuts to international shirt sales and potentially a stake in club ownership.” According to the Kansas City Star, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick – who has a stake in Sporting KC – was prepared to explain to Ronaldo what it’s like to live as a sports superstar in the city. Ronaldo spoke to the MLS club (Image: Getty). “Feedback was positive and one meeting turned into another, with senior figures from the team convinced they were in the final two before Ronaldo opted for Saudi Arabia,” the report added.
The Athletic report states that a move for Ronaldo to the United States was considered unlikely by several senior executives at other clubs due to a number of factors. It is claimed there was a “quiet acceptance” that the transfer would not go ahead due to the costs involved in signing the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, combined with the “publicity that surrounded” the rape allegations made against him in the US. Former model and teacher Kathryn Mayorga has alleged that the former Manchester United and Real Madrid player raped her in a Las Vegas hotel in 2009.
Ronaldo has always vehemently denied the allegations and has never been charged. Mayorga reportedly reached an out-of-court settlement with Ronaldo in 2010, valued at $375,000 (£304,000). In 2022, a US judge dismissed a lawsuit against Ronaldo brought by Mayorga, which could have increased the alleged payment by millions of dollars. Related Posts. Inter Miami issues new update on Lionel Messi’s football injury following Copa América victory. Inter Miami has issued a new update on the injury Lionel Messi suffered during the Copa América victory against Colombia. La leyenda….
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