"We had already seen this with Beckham, now with Messi" - American soccer team owner wants Cristiano Ronaldo to make MLS switch

Cristiano Ronaldo joining Lionel Messi in the MLS would certainly make massive waves across the globe and the owner of Rockford Raptors Louis Mateus is hoping to see that happen someday. The MLS outfit's chief has expressed that he'd love to see the Portuguese icon switch to the United States and believes he'd do great things there.

Football witnessed a golden era when Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo went head-to-head with each other in La Liga between 2009 and 2018. The duo colored the sport with their incredible exploits and left memories on the hearts of football fans.

That rivalry ended when Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid to join Juventus in the summer of 2018. He later sealed a return to Manchester United in 2021 before joining Saudi Arabian outfit Al Nassr, which he presently represents last year.

Lionel Messi also left Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain in August 2021. He eventually left the Parisians for MLS outfit Inter Miami and has become a household name in the United States.

With Ronaldo's contract with Al Nassr set to expire next year, some people are already urging him switch to the United States and reignite his rivalry with Messi. Louis Mateus is looking forward to such a move and is convinced that it'd be an incredible one for the USA top flight.

"Football won. I would like Ronaldo to come to the United States," he was quoted as saying by A Bola. "I've always said that Ronaldo will end up in the USA, I've seen that he's making a home here in Portugal, but I wish he did... We won by seeing Messi and Ronaldo play at the same time.

"The USA has a lot of opportunities for players, we had already seen this with Beckham, now with Messi. If Ronaldo came to Boston or went to Los Angeles, MLS would do an incredible thing... I've always liked Ronaldo," the Rockford Raptors owner added.

Despite already being in the twilight of their careers, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo can still roll back the years and give us one great last dance the United States. However, it'll all depend on whether they have enough fuel left in their tanks when the Portuguese runs out his contract next year.

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What is next for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?

Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to return into Al Nassr's squad to take on Al Khaleej in the first leg of their King Cup of Champions semi-final face off next week on Tuesday. The Portuguese missed his club's last two games as penalty for his misconduct but is now ready to get back in action.

Lionel Messi meanwhile, is expected to lead the attacking line for Inter Miami once again when they go head-to-head with New England Revolution at the Gillette Stadium in the MLS tomorrow (Sunday, April 28).

So far, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has bagged nine goals and five assists for his side in all competitions this season. His Portuguese counterpart, on the other hand, has recorded 36 goals and 12 assists to his name in 37 games for Al Nassr across all fronts.