Cristiano Ronaldo, one of football’s greatest icons and the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, has been urged to consider an unexpected move to the Greek football league by joining Panathinaikos, should he decide to leave his current club, Al-Nassr of Saudi Arabia.

With talks around the future of the Portuguese superstar intensifying as his lucrative contract in Saudi Arabia approaches its final stretch, football pundits, fans, and former players have all weighed in with their opinions on what Ronaldo’s next chapter should look like.

Amidst speculation of a possible contract extension with Al-Nassr, or perhaps a return to Europe or even Major League Soccer (MLS), a new voice has joined the conversation — Giorgos Karagounis, the legendary former Greek international.

Karagounis, who enjoyed stints at Fulham in the Premier League and twice starred for Panathinaikos during his playing career, publicly expressed his hopes of seeing Ronaldo don the famous green jersey of the Athens-based club.

In an interview with Spin Genie, Karagounis said, “I’m not sure if we’ll ever see Cristiano Ronaldo at Wrexham, but I’d love to see him in Greece with Panathinaikos. He’s already worn green with Sporting Lisbon, so why not with Panathinaikos?”

The suggestion comes as something of a romantic football fantasy, given Panathinaikos’ rich history in Greek football and their past association with notable international stars. The club has, over the years, been home to footballing legends like Gilberto Silva, Michael Essien, Djibril Cissé, and Ronaldo’s compatriot, Hélder Postiga.

While it’s highly speculative at this point, fans and pundits alike find the idea intriguing. Ronaldo’s immense global brand power combined with Panathinaikos’ ambitions to reclaim domestic dominance and make an impact in European competitions would create a thrilling narrative for Greek football.

As of now, there’s no official word from Ronaldo’s camp regarding his future plans, with the player still performing at a high level for Al-Nassr and continuing to break records in the Saudi Pro League. Nonetheless, football romantics can’t help but imagine what a move to Greece would look like for one of the greatest footballers of all time in the twilight years of his illustrious career.