Portuguese Legend Cristiano Ronaldo was recently honored by his former club Sporting CP. To commemorate 20 years since the inauguration of the Estádio Jose Alvalade stadium, the club has produced a special third kit featuring the forward’s credentials. In a gesture of support, Ronaldo’s mother was captured wearing the shirt, which led to her winning over fans online.
The 38-year-old’s mother, Dolores Aveiro, was pictured wearing the fresh strip. Created in collaboration with Nike, the kit features black as the base color, with gold on the sleeves. The Sporting crest is outlined in gold, as is the ‘CR7’ sitting in place of the Nike swoosh. The opulent look has impressed many fans online, and seeing the forward’s mother wearing it only made it sweeter.
Lovely gesture for Ronaldo. ❤️
— Rose Premium Signals 🌹 (@VipRoseTr) August 12, 2023
Mother always behind his son ♥️♥️
— 10 Hag🇵🇹 (@Michael51159891) August 12, 2023
Users online praised the 68-year-old for supporting her son. And many others expressed their wish to purchase the kit. As per the early verdict, Sporting’s new third kit is a hit among fans. It has reportedly sold out on the Nike website, generating almost $800,000 in revenue.
🚨🔥 All the Sporting CR7 jerseys have been sold on the Nike website in 12 hours. It is estimated that they generated about €750,000. pic.twitter.com/eDO81Tfpvf
— TCR. (@TeamCRonaldo) August 7, 2023
The reason behind Ronaldo’s signature moniker on the kit has to do with the very first game played at the Estádio Jose Alvalade stadium. Contested between Sporting and Manchester United, the match took place in August 2003. It saw an 18-year-old Ronaldo dazzle against the Red Devils, which eventually lead to Sir Alex Ferguson signing the young forward.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s spell at Sporting CP
The striker had a short-lived spell at the club, lasting just six years in total. A majority of his years in Lisbon were spent in the club’s youth system. But Ronaldo’s talents began to stand out once he turned 16. After progressing through Sporting’s junior sides, the Portugal International was called up to the first team by László Bölöni.
His senior debut came in September 2002 against Braga, following which he continued to earn minutes in the Primeira Liga.
Cristiano Ronaldo during his early days at Sporting. Where it all started.📸🟢 pic.twitter.com/3sNYuqaai0
— TCR. (@TeamCRonaldo) August 3, 2023
The striker opened his scoring account for Sporting against Moreirense by netting two goals. He went on to add another goal to his tally and made 25 appearances for Sporting’s senior team in total. As a result of his impressive displays, a number of Europe’s top clubs had sounded their interest in Ronaldo.
Eventually, it was Sir Alex Ferguson who pushed Manchester United to acquire his services. Despite his brief spell at the club, Ronaldo remains a beloved figure among the Sporting faithful.
Sporting boss Ruben Amorim even admitted that the club remains optimistic about the player’s return in the future. He said, “Everyone in Sporting dreams of the return of Cristiano, so I don’t want to speak about that”.
With Ronaldo presently at Al-Nassr, chances of a return appear slim. But it would be naive to rule out a return to Portugal at some point for the Maderia-native.