The football scout credited with discovering Cristiano Ronaldo has died, prompting a heartfelt tribute from the former Manchester United icon. Aurelio da Silva Pereira was the man who first noticed Ronaldo’s promise while he was still playing for Nacional in Madeira.
He later brought him to Sporting CP at 12, where Ronaldo began to thrive in a green-and-white jersey before making a high-profile move to United at age 18. Ronaldo was just one of many exceptional players identified by Pereira during his long and influential career at Sporting.
Other notable names he scouted include Luis Figo, William Carvalho, Paulo Futre, Ricardo Quaresma, Nani, and Rui Patricio – just a few of the top talents shaped under his watch while he served as a talent scout. Ronaldo took to X to post a photo of himself with Pereira and share a tribute.
He wrote: “One of the biggest symbols of world football has left us, but his legacy will live on forever. I will never stop being grateful for everything he did for me and for many other players. Until forever, Mr Aurelio, thank you for everything. Rest in Peace.”
Nani, who also played for both United and Sporting, posted his own message: “Thank you for everything,” he said. “You were a big friend, an excellent human being who gave us good and important advice. I’ll never forget everything I learned from you, my friend. Rest in Peace, Mr Aurelio.”
Sporting CP issued an official statement: “Sporting Clube de Portugal would like to express the condolences on the death of Aurelio da Silva Pereira, who passed away on Tuesday, aged 77. Born on October 1, 1947, he joined Sporting CP to play football and later left to join Clube Futebol Benfica to become a coach.
“He returned to the club to coach the younger teams for around 20 years. In 1988, he created and became head of Recruitment and from then on, his story is more than well-known. He discovered many of the greatest national talents and brought them to Sporting CP, where they grew and thrived and later moved on to the biggest stages of world football.
“From Paulo Futre, to Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo, but also the most younger talents, Aurelio Pereira is largely responsible for the careers of several national football figures over the last 40 years. He was a leader in his profession and a person everyone looked upon. He received two ‘Stromp’ awards and a ‘Golden Lion’ and in 2012, the club named Sporting’s academy and main training pitch 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 ‘Sporting Merit’ by the city of Lisbon and in 2018, Uefa awarded him with the ‘Order of Merit’ award, for his unparalleled contribution to the development of Portuguese and European football.
“He will forever be remembered as one of the greatest names in the history of national football and, above all, in the history of Sporting Clube de Portugal. Sporting CP extends its deepest condolences to his family and friends, while also praising and thanking him for his years of effort, dedication, devotion, and the glory he brought while wearing the Lion on his chest.”
In 2019, Ronaldo personally honoured Pereira during a Portugal international fixture. Speaking to Maisfutebol, Pereira once shared details about Ronaldo’s move to Lisbon, which happened during Easter weekend in 1996, after Ronaldo spent a week on trial with the club.
“By the second day, we decided that he had to stay,” said Pereira. “We were excited about the kid. He had a knack for the ball, speed, imagination. But above all, I noticed the way he completely dominated the environment. He spoke, gave orders, shouted. All the other kids looked at him as a rare thing, as a talent.”
He continued: “Talent is not difficult to detect, what is difficult to observe is the mental toughness. I saw many talents that came to nothing. Cristiano Ronaldo was different.
“Many 16-year-old kids from the Azores and Madeira came to Lisbon for a week of testing and on the second day they packed their bags to leave. Ronaldo didn’t. Ronaldo at the age of 11 gave orders to boys who were much older.”
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