Sporting Lisbon pay homage to Cristiano Ronaldo with new third shirt – 20 years after his last match
Cristiano Ronaldo’s former club, Sporting Lisbon, has unveiled their new third kit for the 2023/24 season, paying tribute to the forward. The kit celebrates 20 years at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, which was Ronaldo’s last match for the club. Sporting’s new strip is inspired by their black and gold jerseys from the early 2000s.
Sporting Lisbon recently welcomed Manchester United for a pre-season friendly at their new stadium, where Ronaldo put on a masterclass. His performance impressed Sir Alex Ferguson and the United squad, leading to his immediate signing by the Red Devils after their 3-1 defeat.
Now, 20 years after Ronaldo’s last outing for Sporting, the club has honored the Euro 2016 winner by emblazoning his moniker ‘CR7’ on the new kit. It replaces the Nike logo on the left side of the jersey next to Sporting’s crest.
Sporting released a statement on Twitter, saying, “Travel back in time with us. 6th of August 2003 to the 6th of August 2023. 20 years of Estadio Jose Alvalade and five Ballon d’Ors later, the best in the world are united in one piece.” They added, “20 stories to tell. Sporting, Cristiano, and Nike together in our new shirt.”
Ronaldo, who came through Sporting’s academy, had a remarkable season with the club in 2002/03, scoring five goals in 31 games across all competitions. Fans have been praising the new kit, with one Twitter user calling it a “masterpiece” and another saying, “Shut up and take my money.”
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Sporting Lisbon have paid homage to Cristiano Ronaldo with the unveiling of a striking new third kit, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the player’s last official match for the club.
On Sunday, July the 17th, Sporting Lisbon shared a nostalgic photo of the former player, posing in his now iconic number 28 jersey, to commemorate the historic occasion.
The new kit, which is modelled on the jersey worn by Ronaldo during his career at Sporting, is being unveiled today (Monday, July the 18th).
Designed by Portuguese designer Diogo Mateus in collaboration with the club, the kit’s largely green colour palette draws inspiration from Portugal’s iconic cork oak trees, while its red, white and red lettering reflects the colours of the club’s crest and closely recalls Ronaldo’s number from his days at Sporting.
Further complimenting the design is a simple graphic imprinted inside the collar, with the words ‘Sporting x Cristiano Ronaldo x 20 anos’ (Sporting x Cristiano Ronaldo x 20 years), to honour the 20th anniversary of Ronaldo’s last game for the club.
On the same day, Sporting Lisbon also published a series of heartfelt messages and videos from the club, university, and its players.
The club’s president, Frederico Varandas, said: “The entire Sporting CP family will never forget how much you have done for our club for the 20 years!”
The level of affection for Ronaldo from the club is shared by the fans, as demonstrated by the thousands of messages Sporting Lisbon have received from supporters since the kit’s announcement.
To commemorate this historic occasion, Sporting are also launching a limited edition replica of the new shirt, alongside a range of other collectables, which will be available on the club’s online store from next week.