Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed that he was close to joining Barcelona from Sporting Lisbon before making his move to Manchester United in 2003.
The former Real Madrid star spent six years at United, scoring 84 goals as a winger and winning multiple Premier League titles and a UEFA Champions League before his record-breaking transfer to Madrid in 2009.
At Madrid, Ronaldo cemented his legacy, scoring an incredible 451 goals in 438 appearances across all competitions. He became the club’s all-time top scorer and played a key role in their European dominance, winning four Champions League titles.
Speaking to El Chiringuito de Jugones, Ronaldo recalled how Barcelona had scouted him before he ultimately chose United under Sir Alex Ferguson.
“Yes, when I was playing at Sporting Lisbon, I had the opportunity to join several clubs, and one of them was Barcelona,” Ronaldo said.
“I remember meeting someone from Barcelona who wanted to sign me, but it didn’t happen. Maybe they wanted to bring me in the following year. Then, a club came along and signed me immediately. You know how fast things move in football,” he added.
