Cristiano Ronaldo might just have one last homecoming left in him — and Portugal is already dreaming about it.
Former teammate Ricardo Sá Pinto has urged the Al-Nassr star to bring his legendary career full circle by returning to Sporting CP, the club where it all started more than two decades ago.
Ronaldo’s journey from a skinny teenager in Lisbon to a global superstar has been one for the ages.
From Sporting to Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and now Saudi Arabia — he’s scored goals everywhere, broken records everywhere, and aged like fine vinho verde.
But even legends have unfinished business, and for Ronaldo, that might mean one final chapter in green and white.
Sa Pinto, who shared the dressing room with a young Ronaldo, told Radio Marca: “It would be incredible to see him finish his career at Sporting. It would be the best, a beautiful story for everyone. When you love football like Cristiano, you know there are stories that only happen once. It would be a beautiful story, a very beautiful one. The Sporting fans deserve it. And so does he.”
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Could the No. 7 shirt stay in the locker when Ronaldo returns?
The twist? Sa Pinto doesn’t even think Ronaldo needs his iconic No. 7 jersey to make the magic happen.
“I wore the number 7 for Sporting, but then it almost became an unlucky number,” he joked. “I wish he would come back, even if it’s with a different number. The important thing is that he comes back.”
Ronaldo, now 40, recently extended his stay at Al-Nassr until 2026, taking him beyond his 42nd birthday. But speculation refuses to rest — much like the man himself.
Sporting’s president Frederico Varandas once said, “I think he will play here one day,” while Ronaldo’s mother, Dolores Aveiro, has made her wish clear: “Before I die, I want to see you return to Sporting.”
The idea of Ronaldo walking out once more at the Jose Alvalade Stadium sends chills through Lisbon.
He left as a promising winger; he’d return as a living monument. Financial realities might complicate the dream, but when it comes to Ronaldo, logic has never stopped the story from getting legendary.
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