What if Cristiano Ronaldo joins the MLS?
- Jordan Russell (@JordRuss96)
The idea of him spearheading the new Los Angeles FC project has been mooted for a while now, and this is definitely not to be discounted. In fact, many view this as being so important that it could be a deciding factor in whether or not the United States can co-host the 2026 World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico.
In any case, Cristiano has the opportunity to finish his career in Madrid should he opt to honour his contract, while a return to England or trip to Ligue 1 could also tempt him. That said, he is said to be very excited about the potential of the LA project.
CR7 has serious offers from the Premier League, where he is still held in very high regard but, interestingly, he could end up competing against current teammate Gareth Bale for a move back to England. Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal are all interested in the Welshman, and so this could open the door for another to snap up Cristiano. Chelsea could be the most concrete option for the Portuguese right now.
Meanwhile, PSG sporting director Antero Henrique is keen to bring in his compatriot alongside José Mourinho, who could replace Unai Emery in the dugout come the end of the season. The one issue with this idea is that the Parisians’ attack would be overcrowded given the presence of Neymar, Edinson Cavani, Julian Draxler and Kylian Mbappé. In this case, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez would probably ask to do a swap deal. This move would be the most complicated of all.
So, what is the big project in LA? Los Angeles Football Club will be a ‘soccer’ team based in the city of Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 2014 and will play in Major League Soccer from the beginning of next season. Initially, it will have a 22,000-capacity stadium with a shopping centre, restaurants, offices and a football museum attached. The new facility will be built on the grounds of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
The project is being headed by American businessmen Henry Nguyen, Peter Guber, Tom Penn, actor Will Ferrell and former NBA star Magic Johnson among many other world famous stars. As for the team itself, LA’s first ever signing was Real Sociedad forward Carlos Vela who committed his future to the club a few months ago. Bob Bradley has been appointed head coach, and will return to MLS after his stint at Chivas USA back in 2006.
Interesting times lie ahead for Los Angeles Football Club and Cristiano Ronaldo. Now let’s wait and see if their paths will cross as early as next summer, or if CR7’s last hurrah in the States will be put on hold for a while yet.