A Brazilian fourth-division club has set its sights on one of the greatest soccer players of all time. Despite the long odds, the club’s president is determined to bring Cristiano Ronaldo to Brazil in 2026, believing the move could unite a passionate soccer community. The 40-year-old Portuguese superstar remains a prolific goal scorer at Al-Nassr, and while his contract is nearing its expiration, his future seems more aligned with an extension in the Saudi Pro League. However, this ambitious Brazilian club is determined to make its case.
The club in question is Associacao Portuguesa de Desportos, commonly known as Portuguesa, a team competing in the Paulista A1 division, a state league in Sao Paulo. The club has historically represented Brazil’s Portuguese community, and its president, Alex Bourgeois, is eager to rekindle that connection by attempting to sign Portugal’s greatest soccer icon.
Speaking to CNN, Bourgeois shared his vision: “Reinforcement and rescue of the pride of the Portuguese community here in Brazil, yes, that was exactly it [the attempt to sign Nani]. We are behind and we will try for 2026, for the 2026 Paulistao, to bring in a great Portuguese.”
Portuguesa has previously attempted to lure stars like Nani and Radamel Falcao, but now they have their eyes on the five-time Ballon d’Or winner. Bourgeois acknowledges that signing Ronaldo is a monumental challenge but remains hopeful about at least holding discussions.
“He’s the greatest Portuguese of all time, he’s the greatest personality in the world today,” he continued. “It would be great, but I can imagine how many people don’t offer anything related to Portugal to Cristiano Ronaldo, right? But it’s obvious that he’s a great Portuguese, and obviously, at some point, we’re going to have to try to talk.”
Building a bridge between Portugal and Brazil
Beyond the soccer spectacle, Bourgeois envisions a deeper cultural connection between Brazil and Portugal. He sees Portuguesa as the perfect club to act as this bridge and hopes that bringing Ronaldo on board could accelerate that goal.
“What we need, which is part of our strategic plan, is to create a bridge between Brazil and Portugal through Portuguesa, for Portuguesa to be this channel,” Bourgeois explained. “We are already making some progress in this direction. We believe that this will bring many people from this community of 25 million closer to us.”
Brazil has long had strong ties to Portugal, and Bourgeois hopes that soccer, along with aspects like Portuguese wine, food, religion, and tourism, could be further embraced through this connection.
What does Ronaldo’s future hold?
Despite Portuguesa’s aspirations, the likelihood of Ronaldo moving to Brazil remains slim. The Al-Nassr forward is in the final year of his contract and will soon be able to negotiate pre-contract terms with other clubs. However, reports suggest that he is on the verge of signing an extension with the Riyadh-based outfit, keeping him in the Middle East..
