Cristiano Ronaldo set for stunning return to the United States | OneFootball

Twelve years later.. Ronaldo is finally coming back to America

Cristiano Ronaldo set for stunning return to the United States

The US Soccer Federation & the Portuguese Football Federation have reached agreement to stage major international friendly between the United States and Portugal at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta in March 2026 according to reporting from The Athletic.

The match expected to be officially confirmed soon will serve as headline event in the build up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Why this match matters

Beyond the sporting significance, the fixture is attracting global attention because it is set to mark the return of Cristiano Ronaldo to the United States — his first appearance in the country in nearly 12 year.

Ronaldo last played on US soil on 2 August 2014 coming on as substitute for Real Madrid against Manchester United before crowd of 109318 fans at Michigan Stadium.

Earlier that summer, he appeared for Portugal in friendly against the Republic of Ireland at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Since then, Ronaldo’s absence from the United States has been magnified by off field events. In 2017, Der Spiegel published allegations relating to 2009 incident in Las Vegas — accusations Ronaldo has consistently denied and for which no charges were ever filed.

He has not taken part in any public football activity in the U.S. since, whether with Real Madrid, Juventus, Manchester United or current club Al Nassr.

How the agreement came together

Talks between the federations began last September as part of U.S. scheduling plan that also included proposed friendly against Belgium. The second match depended on both Portugal & Belgium avoiding the World Cup play offs.

Portugal fulfilled that requirement clinching direct qualification with 9-1 victory over Armenia yesterday clearing the final pathway for the Atlanta friendly.