Several of football’s biggest stars have come close to making blockbuster moves to Major League Soccer (MLS), but the proposed transfers ultimately failed to materialise.
According to a report by The Economic Times on Friday, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Neymar were among the high-profile players linked with moves to the United States at different stages of their careers.
Ronaldo was one of the biggest names to attract MLS interest in 2022 as he approached the end of his four-year spell at Juventus. At 37, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner was weighing his options and had attracted interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia and, reportedly, Manchester City.
MLS clubs also explored the possibility of signing the Portugal international. LA Galaxy and Inter Miami were among the clubs linked with Ronaldo, while Sporting Kansas City emerged as one of the strongest contenders.
Ronaldo was on Sporting Kansas City’s discovery list, giving the club priority to negotiate with him ahead of other MLS teams.
Reports suggested that the club held a series of meetings with Ronaldo’s representatives over several weeks, with negotiations advancing to a stage where a transfer appeared increasingly possible.
However, financing such a high-profile deal proved difficult, while convincing Ronaldo to make the move to MLS presented another major obstacle.
The transfer eventually collapsed, with Ronaldo opting for a different destination. Following an unhappy second spell at Manchester United, he accepted a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr.
Modric was another former Real Madrid star who attracted significant MLS interest.
As the Croatian midfielder approached the end of his contract with Real Madrid in 2024, San Diego FC and Inter Miami reportedly explored the possibility of signing him.
Modric, however, chose to remain in Madrid, extending his contract by another year. He spent his final season at the Santiago Bernabéu as captain before leaving Real Madrid for AC Milan in July 2025.
San Diego FC also reportedly considered moves for two other former Real Madrid stars, Sergio Ramos and Keylor Navas, but neither deal came to fruition.
Neymar was another superstar whose potential move to MLS generated significant interest.
Inter Miami had reportedly hoped to reunite Barcelona’s celebrated attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar in the United States.
However, the prospect of seeing the three former Barcelona teammates together again in MLS diminished when Neymar signed a one-year contract extension with Santos in January 2026.
With the extension due to expire in December, Neymar is expected to retire from professional football, effectively ending the possibility of an MLS reunion with Messi and Suárez.
Although none of the proposed transfers materialised, the pursuit of Ronaldo, Modric, Ramos, Navas and Neymar highlights MLS’s growing appeal to some of the biggest names in global football.
