The day Cristiano Ronaldo could have joined Barcelona but signed for Manchester United

In a surprising revelation, Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted that he was close to joining Barcelona earlier in his career. The Portuguese superstar, who is currently playing for Al-Nassr, made the revelation in an interview with Spanish journalist Edu Aguirre.

Ronaldo, who was 18 years old at the time, was playing for Sporting Lisbon when both Barcelona and Manchester United came calling. "I was playing for Sporting and I could go to several clubs. One of them was Barça. They wanted to sign me... but it didn't happen," Ronaldo revealed. "Maybe they wanted me, but for the following year. Manchester United took me there in a minute."

The Portuguese star went on to explain that he believes his career would have been very similar regardless of which club he had chosen. "I think my future as a player would have been quite similar. Of course, Real Madrid is Real Madrid, but my future as a player could have been very similar. Obviously, Madrid is the biggest club in the world," Ronaldo emphasised.

A What If Scenario

The revelation of Ronaldo's near-miss with Barcelona has sent shockwaves through the football world. Had he joined the Catalan giants, the landscape of world football could have been very different. The rivalry between Ronaldo and Lionel Messi would have been even more intense, and the dynamics of both Real Madrid and Barcelona would have been significantly altered.

A Pivotal Moment

Ronaldo's decision to join Manchester United proved to be a pivotal moment in his career. The move to Old Trafford allowed him to develop into one of the greatest players of all time. At United, he won three Premier League titles and the Champions League, before moving to Real Madrid where he achieved even greater success.

What could have been

It is impossible to know for sure what would have happened if Ronaldo had chosen to join Barcelona. However, his revelation has sparked a fascinating debate among fans about what could have been.