Aurelio Da Silva Pereira, the legendary scout responsible for identifying the talent of Cristiano Ronaldo in his first years, was unfortunately deceased.
Pereira first spotted Ronaldo as he played for Nacional in Madeira. At just 12 years old, Ronaldo was brought to Sporting by Pereira, where he quickly accelerated in the ranks before winning a transfer to Manchester United.
The impact of Pereira on Portuguese football extends far beyond Ronaldo. During his stay in Sporting, he played a major role in the discovery of many best talents, notably Luis Figo, Ricardo Quaresma, William Carvalho, Paulo Futre, Rui Patricio and Nani.
Ronaldo went to the X social media platform to honor the man who helped launch his professional career. In addition to a photo of the two together, he wrote: “One of the greatest symbols in world football has left us, but his heritage will live forever.
“I will never stop being grateful for everything he has done for me and for many other players. Until always, Mr. Aurelio, thank you for everything. Rest in peace. “
Sporting has also published an official declaration commemorating the long career of Pereira as a scout.
“The Portugal Sportif club would like to express condolences on the death of Aurelio Da Silva Pereira, who died on Tuesday, at the age of 77.
Um back large símbolos da formção mundial deixou-nos mas o only legado viverá para semper. Nunca deixarei de estar grato por tudo o que fez por mim e port tantos outros jogadores. ATÉ SEMPER, SENHOR Aurélio, Obrigado Por Tudo. Descanse Em Paz. pic.twitter.com/8pvle73id4
– Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano) April 8, 2025
“Born October 1, 1947, he joined Sporting CP to play football and later left to join Club Futebol Benfica to become a coach.
“He returned to the club to train young teams for about 20 years. In 1988, he created and became a recruitment manager and from that moment, his history is more than well known.
“He discovered many of the biggest national talents and brought them to Sporting, where they grew up and prospered and then went to the biggest stages of world football.
“From Paulo Futre to Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo, but also the youngest talents, Aurelio Pereira is largely responsible for the career of several national football personalities in the past 40 years.
“He was a leader in his profession and a person that everyone considered. He received two “Stromp” awards and a “Golden Lion” and in 2012, the club appointed the Academy and the Sporting main training ground after him.
“In 2016, he saw the Portugal national team win the European championships in France where ten players were discovered by him. Their nickname was “The Aurelios”. In 2017, he received the medal of the “sporting merit” of the city of Lisbon and in 2018, UEFA awarded him the “Order of Merit” prize, for its unrivaled contribution to the development of Portuguese and European football.
“We will forever remember as one of the biggest names in the history of national football and, above all, in the history of the Portugal Sportif club. The Sports CP extends its deepest condolences to his family and friends, while praising him and asking him for his years of effort, dedication, devotion and glory he brought while carrying the lion to his chest. “
