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What if Cristiano Ronaldo signed for PSG? His agent is working on a deal.
It’s just a rumor, but it’s fun to think about, so let’s do it.


Cristiano Ronaldo appears to have a very good relationship with Zinedine Zidane and Gareth Bale. He’s been great in their run to the Champions League final. He just won a Clásico to get Real Madrid back into the La Liga title race a month ago. Florentino Perez says he’s not for sale. And yet, AS is reporting that Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes has reached an agreement on terms with PSG.
But of course, that’s the easy part. Now all they have to do is convince Ronaldo to ask to leave Real Madrid, then agree to a transfer fee with the Spanish giants. Also, these stories about agents coming to terms with new teams pop up all the time and usually mean nothing at all. But this is fun, so let’s think about what it would mean for everyone.
For the 31-year-old Ronaldo, it’s awesome if he’s starting to decline physically. He’ll be able to get away with running less in Ligue 1 and can probably take some games off while still playing for a team with a chance to win the Champions League. It’s great for PSG, too, obviously, because he’s one of the five greatest footballers of all time and a marketing godsend.
It’s probably bad for Real Madrid, considering they have nearly unlimited money and are about to catch a transfer ban. But if Ronaldo really is declining and they keep him, they’ll be stuck building a team around an aging player while being unable to buy another superstar. If they sell him to PSG, they’ll get back at least what they paid for him, despite his age. They won’t have to structure a team around one player anymore. And if he really does want to leave, €100 million beats a sulking player any day.
In conclusion: this is good. We hope it happens.
Goal of the day
Winston Reid’s winner for West Ham. (r/soccer)
In the news
West Ham say they’ll hand lifetime bans to any supporters they can identify that attacked Manchester United’s bus. (BBC)
Union Berlin won’t stop USMNT striker Bobby Wood from making a big move to a Bundesliga club. (ESPN FC)
Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez are snatching all the accolades and outside awards, but Leicester’s players named N’Golo Kante their player of the season. (@LCFC)
Juventus have extended the contracts of veterans Gigi Buffon and Andrea Barzagli. (@Juventusfcen)
Joe Ledley is out for the FA Cup final and probably won’t make the Euros for Wales. (Guardian)
Kei Kamara has been suspended for one game, but doesn’t regret calling out his teammate. (MLS)
In light of that, Massive Report looked at potential trade partners for the Crew and Kamara.
Add Alex Morgan to the list of female athletes worried about the Zika Virus in Brazil. (SI)
Here’s a scary piece from the Harvard Public health Review on Zika, calling for the Olympics to be delayed or moved.
You should be reading
Chloe Beresford on Juventus’ title-winning season being a massive wake-up call for the declining remainder of Serie A. (Unusual Efforts)
Richard Foster on the history of the 12 teams participating in the Football League playoffs. (Guardian)
Glenn Billingham on soccer in Bogota. (These Football Times)
What happened on Tuesday
What to watch on Wednesday (click for listings, all times ET)
Premier League: Three games (from 2:45 p.m.) -- If you want a fun final day, root for Sunderland to lose and Norwich to win.
Liga MX: Two games (from 8 p.m.) -- The playoffs are here! Liguilla is one of the wildest tournaments in soccer. Check out the early game, a Monterrey derby.
Copa Libertadores: Sao Paulo vs. Atletico Mineiro (8:45 p.m.) -- Copa Lib is in the quarters, too, and this is probably the best of the bunch.











