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Orlando City owner sets his sights on Cristiano Ronaldo

Reuters

Orlando City owner Flavio Augusto Da Silva would like to add more star power to his fledgling Major League Soccer franchise in the form of Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, reuniting him with his close friend and former team-mate, Kaka.

Speaking to Spanish print outlet Marca, Da Silva said he'd like to lure the Portuguese legend away from European soil and under the hot Florida sun, perhaps as soon as next year.

"Truthfully, we like Cristiano Ronaldo a lot," Da Silva said. "We'd sign him without thinking about it. Physically, he's more complete than (Lionel) Messi, and he'd make more of an impact on a marketing level in MLS than the Argentine.

"Hopefully, we can sign him for this upcoming season. We've always heard that he'd like to come to the United States to play."

Those are some lofty ambitions, but it's not completely without merit. Ronaldo has been linked with an MLS move before, with future expansion side Los Angeles FC already a reported front-runner for his signature.

But Da Silva has already signed one FIFA Ballon D'Or winner in Kaka, so maybe it's not too far-fetched to try and add another to Orlando's ranks.

If Kaka were to help get the ball rolling, it might not be too hard for Orlando to get at least one sit-down with Ronaldo and his agent, Jorge Mendes.

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