Diego Forlan has said that he will play for Mumbai City on a three-month deal.
The 37-year-old retired Uruguay international returned to his boyhood club Penarol for the 2015-16 season, helping them to the Apertura title in the Uruguay first division by scoring eight goals in 31 appearances before announcing he would not return.
The 2010 Golden Ball winner for best player at the 2010 World Cup and the two-time Pichichi trophy winner said he bought into the Indian Super League project.
"They want to grow football, something that is understandable given the population," the 37-year-old said. "Next year they want to extend it to seven months and then to a whole year. For now, though, it is three months [my contract]."
Diego @DiegoForlan7 habló con Ovación Tv sobre su futuro en India. Mirá la entrevista de @AWairaldi pic.twitter.com/wUnM1tehds
- El Pais TV (@elpaistv) August 12, 2016
The club currently sit in sixth place in the league, nine points behind leader FC Goa.
Argentina's Matias Defederico will join Forlan this season.
"Everything is all set. There are some details to be worked out but we are on our way over there," Forlan's brother Pablo told Sport 890.
Forlan, whose career took him to Manchester United, Villarreal, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan and Brazilian club Internacional, told Uruguay radio last week that he would not play in Argentina or Brazil, and admitted that he had no offers from Major League Soccer, but insisted that he did not want to retire.
Penarol president Juan Pedro Damiani had asked Forlan to return.
Forlan said he was happy with his decision.
"The expectations continue to grow each year, more spectators, more TV viewers," he said. "It is something understandable given the population, but they want to grow it on an even bigger scale so they are bringing in players from other leagues."