Cristiano Ronaldo came close to joining an MLS club before his move to Saudi Arabia, with a potential ownership stake discussed as part of the negotiations.
Ronaldo, 39, left European football at the start of 2023, joining Saudi club Al Nassr on a three-year contract after Manchester United agreed to terminate his deal at Old Trafford.
In the process, he became the highest-paid player in world football, with the Portuguese superstar reportedly earning £177m per year with the Saudi Pro League side.
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Ronaldo held talks with several other clubs before joining Al Nassr.
And things could have turned out very differently, had he accepted an offer from Sporting Kansas City.
Sporting KC head coach Peter Vermes told the Kansas City Star that the club held multiple meetings with senior representatives of Ronaldo before his move to Saudi Arabia and claimed negotiations "took on real legs".
The Athletic report that at the time the MLS had an internal database of 50 players who would bring the greatest value to the league if recruited, with Lionel Messi and Ronaldo placed at No 1 and No 2, and Kylian Mbappe ranked third.
According to the report, Messi had not yet joined Inter Miami at the point Sporting KC entered negotiations with Ronaldo.
The MLS side were said to be "serious" with their approach and had suggested "creative packages that would have involved cuts of international jersey sales and potentially a stake in the ownership of the club".
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 is like to live as a sporting superstar in the city.
"The feedback was positive and one meeting became another, with senior figures at the team convinced they were down to the final two before Ronaldo opted for Saudi Arabia," added the report.
The Athletic report claim that a move to the United States for Ronaldo was previously deemed as unlikely by multiple senior executives from other clubs due to several factors.
It is claimed that there had been a "quiet acceptance" that a transfer would not happen due to the costs involved in the signing the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, combined with "publicity that had surrounded" rape allegations made against him in the US.
Former model and teacher Kathryn Mayorga alleged that the former Manchester United and Real Madrid footballer raped her at 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, worth a reported $375,000 (£304,000).
In 2022, a US judge dismissed a lawsuit against Ronaldo brought by Mayorga, which could have seen the alleged payment increase by millions of dollars.
Topics: Cristiano Ronaldo, MLS, Lionel Messi, Patrick Mahomes, Al Nassr, Football, Transfers
Rory O'Callaghan