Brazil striker Ronaldo wants to play in the
United States later in his career.
"Right now I have a contract with Real Madrid and I'm only thinking
about the World Cup, but without a doubt, the American market is one of
my goals for the future," Ronaldo said Monday.
Ronaldo reportedly turned down a recent $120 million, 10-year offer to
play for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.
Ronaldo's manager, Fabiano Farah, told the Estado de Minas newspaper
that Ronaldo refused the offer because he is happy playing in Europe,
where he intends to stay for several years.
"A transfer to the United States right now would not make sense," Farah
said. "He still has several challenges in European soccer."
The 29-year-old Ronaldo will start for Brazil when the defending
champions debut in Germany against Croatia on June 13. Ronaldo is tied
with Pele with 12 World Cup goals and is only three shy of becoming the
World Cup's leading scorer.
He had various injuries at the start of the year and played sparingly
for Real Madrid, scoring only five goals in the team's first 19 matches.
Ronaldo will be playing in his fourth World Cup. He was 17 when Brazil
won the tournament in 1994 in the United States.
In 97 matches with the national team, Ronaldo has scored 61 goals. When
the striker is on the field, Brazil has lost eight times. |