Cristiano Ronaldo Reportedly Planning MLS Move After Contract Expires in 2018

Major League Soccer may be getting one of the world's top superstars several years down the road, as Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly expressed interest in some day joining the league.  

Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated has the report:

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File this one for down the road, but multiple sources tell me that Cristiano Ronaldo’s current plan is to come to MLS after he finishes at Real Madrid, with one source saying he would likely arrive on a free transfer in 2018 once his current contract ends.

Ronaldo would likely be coming off a World Cup and would be 33 years old, older than David Beckham (32) was when he came to MLS but younger than Frank Lampard (37) or Steven Gerrard (35) will be when they arrive this summer. Ronaldo’s main interest lies in cities you’d probably expect: Miami, Los Angeles and New York.

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While Ronaldo's skills would surely have declined by 2018, he is a physical marvel and one of the game's most dedicated and polished athletes, so he'd surely still hit MLS as the league's top player. His combination of speed, power and skill would remind many Americans of a LeBron James-esque athlete, and his matches would become must-watch affairs.

Not only that, but his star power alone would be a huge acquisition for a league not only battling against American interests in other sports but also more established soccer leagues around the world, like the English Premier League and Spain's La Liga.

Ronaldo would certainly be a major draw. A three-time Ballon d'Or winner as the world's top player, Ronaldo is a goalscoring machine who has scored a whopping 30 goals and added 11 assists in just 24 La Liga games this season. His addition could be a game changer for MLS.