Ronaldo Seems to Confirm United Return: ‘Sunday, the King Plays’

The superstar forward teased his return on social media.

Cristiano Ronaldo may be returning to Manchester United soon.

On Instagram, when a fan page acknowledged Ronaldo’s absence from the team, the forward responded with a simple yet effective reply.

“Sunday, the King plays,” Ronaldo wrote, via Reuters.

Manchester United is scheduled to play Spanish side Rayo Vallecano in a friendly on Sunday, a match which would be Ronaldo’s first under new manager Erik ten Hag.

Ronaldo didn’t play in Manchester United’s preseason tour due to personal reasons, and he reportedly told the team he would prefer to play elsewhere. However, earlier this week The Athletic reported Ronaldo and Manchester United were in discussions for the forward to return to the club.

Still, ten Hag said the team was expecting Ronaldo to return after the extended absence.

”We are planning with Cristiano Ronaldo for this season so that’s it,” he said. “I’m looking forward to working with him.”

Ronaldo signed a two-year contract with a club option to return to Manchester United last year after 13 years away with Real Madrid and Juventus. Last season, he scored a team-high 18 goals and was one of only two players on the team to score more than five.