Brazil legend Pele reacts as Cristiano Ronaldo returns to action for Manchester United against Rayo Vallecano

Brazilian legend Pele has reacted to Cristiano Ronaldo returning to first-team action for Manchester United. The forward played in the Red Devils' pre-season friendly against Rayo Vallecano at Old Trafford on Sunday, July 31.

Ronaldo shared an Instagram post after the match, with the caption:

"Happy to be back!😀🙏🏽"

As usual, Ronaldo's post garnered a lot of attention, with Pele among those who reacted. He sent in a comment with three clapping emojis, as if to congratulate the Portuguese superstar on his return:

"👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾"

A screenshot of Pele's comment on Cristiano Ronaldo's post.

Ronaldo played the first 45 minutes of the match, where he failed to get on the scoresheet. He got only one chance during his stay on the pitch but ended up skying an effort from Donny van de Beek's pass.

The 37-year-old continued to make news after the game as reports emerged of him leaving the stadium while the match was still being played at Old Trafford. The Portuguese captain reportedly left the stadium with Diogo Dalot around the 80-minute mark of the match which ended 1-1.

Whether or not this exit was sanctioned by new manager Erik ten Hag remains unknown to the media and the fans.

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Will Cristiano Ronaldo stay at Manchester United this season?

Cristiano Ronaldo re-joined Manchester United from Juventus last summer. It was an emotional homecoming for the veteran forward after spending 13 years away from Manchester.

He registered 24 goals in 38 games across all competitions for the Red Devils but the team fell flat on the collective front. They were knocked out early in all cup competitions and finished sixth in the Premier League, missing out on UEFA Champions League football for the 2022-23 season.

New manager Ten Hag is now in charge of Manchester United and is expected to rebuild the squad for the future. Ronaldo is already in the twilight of his illustrious career but still seems hungry to achieve more immediate success.

The clash in visions and the lack of Champions League action may have sparked Ronaldo's desire to leave Old Trafford this summer. He has been linked with several top European clubs but a move is yet to materialize for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.