Orlando City SC have not been shy about trying to bring over big names since joining MLS. They landed Kaká, of course, but also reportedly had discussions to add Robinho and flirted with the idea of signing Chicharito.
Well, there's another megastar player the club would love to add to its ranks: Cristiano Ronaldo.
In a lengthy interview with Spanish outlet Marca that was published on Tuesday, OCSC president Phil Rawlins and team owner Flavio Augusto da Silva were posed a hypothetical: Which player in the world would they sign tomorrow if they could?
"I think I would pick Cristiano Ronaldo," Rawlins said. "From a sporting standpoint, I think that Ronaldo is more complete than [Lionel] Messi and I think he would have a much greater impact on soccer in the United States when it comes to marketing. I've always heard that he would love to come to the United States. I wish we were able to bring him in next season!"
"Messi would also work here [in Orlando] for quality and marketing," Da Silva added. "But it's clear that Cristiano is a great player who we like a lot."
Naturally, the two-time FIFA Ballon d'Or winner is a dream for plenty of MLS fans, but Ronaldo signed a five-year deal with Real Madrid back in 2013 and continues to star for the Spanish heavyweights. The Portuguese international has played in six La Liga games thus far for Real Madrid this season, scoring five times to help the club enjoy an undefeated start.
On Wednesday, Ronaldo notched his 500th career goal after a brace against Malmo in the UEFA Champions League. The tallies also tied him with Raul for the most goals ever by a Real Madrid player (323), except that Ronaldo reached the mark in 433 fewer matches (308 games vs. 741 games).
