Could Cristiano Ronaldo be set for a shock move to Brazil?

Brazilian club Portuguesa has set its sights on an audacious move to sign Cristiano Ronaldo, with the club’s president, Alex Bourgeois, openly discussing plans to lure the Portuguese superstar.

The Paulista A1 side, known for its ambitions to attract high-profile players, previously pursued Radamel Falcao and Nani. Now, they are targeting the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, currently plying his trade with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

In an interview with CNN, Bourgeois detailed the club’s vision: "Reinforcement and rescue 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 Paulistão, to bring in a great Portuguese.”

Bourgeois acknowledged Ronaldo’s stature and the challenge of convincing him but emphasised the importance of trying: "He's the greatest Portuguese of all time, he's the greatest personality in the world today. 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."

Portuguesa aims to establish itself as a bridge between Brazil and Portugal, leveraging cultural and footballing ties to build a stronger connection with Brazil’s Portuguese community. 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.

“There are many things in Portugal, besides Portuguese football, for which Brazilians go there, whether it be for wine, food, religion, beaches, etc. So, what we want is to bring all of this to the closest place here in Brazil to create this bridge."

Ronaldo, currently nearing the end of his Al-Nassr contract, could opt to extend his stay with the Saudi club on a lucrative deal reportedly worth €183 million annually.

For now, Portuguesa’s dream of securing one of football’s greatest remains a bold and distant possibility.