“Kind of the final frontier for him” - Alexi Lalas weighs in on Cristiano Ronaldo transfer amid Al-Nassr exit rumors
Former USMNT star Alexi Lalas has backed Cristiano Ronaldo to follow Lionel Messi to the MLS. He believes that the move would do good for the Portuguese superstar's brand and added that it would also help the league grow.
Speaking on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Lalas revealed that he will be delighted to see Ronaldo play in the MLS. He believes that the rivalry with Messi will be reignited with the move and added that it would be great to see them fighting on the pitch again. He said via The Mirror:
"Absolutely, there's a world where he lands in the MLS. Kind of the final frontier for him, and when I say him we're also talking about his brand, I'm here for it. Bring it. I love it. I know the whole retirement type of thing gets thrown around, but these are arguably two of the best players ever to play the game, and that we have them, and you just mentioned what Messi is doing is great, but they also, their brands are relative to what they have done with each other and against each other over the years. And so to kind of rejuvenate that would be kind of cool."
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are in contract talks with their respective clubs. Both players are yet to sign a new deal and will be free agents this year if they do not agree on terms.
Herculez Gomez urges MLS clubs to lure Cristiano Ronaldo like Lionel Messi
Herculez Gomez was on Futbol Americas when he urged MLS clubs to try and lure Cristiano Ronaldo to the United States. He believes that the Portuguese superstar would be open to the move if he were offered a similar deal to that of Lionel Messi at Inter Miami.
He said via GOAL:
"Nobody thought Lionel Messi would come, and yet he did. What did it take? It took ownership and I think it's going to be a similar package [to recruit Ronaldo to MLS]. American owner John Textor (owns Botafogo, Crystal Palace and American Eagle Football Group), they want, as per reports, to offer a similar package for Cristiano Ronaldo to join Botafogo, or one of the teams, ahead of the Club World Cup."
Lionel Messi is a part-owner of Inter Miami after joining them in 2023. He has also signed various sponsorship deals, including the $20 million contract he signed with the MLS side, which takes his yearly earnings to over $60 million.
