Brazilian champions Cruzeiro have joined the race to sign World Cup winner Rivaldo, who was freed from his contract with European champions AC Milan last month.

Cruzeiro spokesman Valdir Barbosa said in a radio interview on Friday that one of Rivaldo's agents had contacted the club to offer the player's services.

"We said we had a limit to pay and that we couldn't compete with Europe," Barbosa said. "But it will be a great plus if he comes. There's a good possibility.

"He's a player who has won everything there is to win and would be very important for the Libertadores (Cup)," added Barbosa, referring to the South American equivalent of the Champions League in Europe.

Cruzeiro are coached by Vanderlei Luxemburgo, who was in charge of the Palmeiras team in which Rivaldo shone during the mid 1990s before he left for Europe.

The club from Belo Horizonte, Brazil's third largest city, won the Brazilian championship for the first time this year and will launch their bid for a third Libertadores title in February.

Brazilian media reports have also linked Rivaldo with possible moves to Portuguese club Porto and Russia's Spartak Moscow, while Mexico's Notimex news agency has said that Mexico City club America were also interested in signing the striker.

On Tuesday, Rio de Janeiro mayor Cesar Maia said his administration had offered to provide public money to finance Rivaldo's move to one of the city's four first division clubs.

Maia said he had spoken to the president of Botafogo about the idea but added that the offer was also open to rivals Flamengo, Fluminense and Vasco da Gama.

Rivaldo, who has kept his place in the Brazil team despite being relegated to the reserves at AC Milan, has been a free agent after ending what he described as the worst year of his life at the Serie A club.