Cristiano Ronaldo has almost confirmed that he will not participate in the Club World Cup, affecting FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s hopes of having one of soccer’s greats at the event.
The captain of Portugal revealed on Saturday that he had received numerous offers from clubs participating in the tournament beginning on June 14 but opted not to take any of them.
“Some things make sense to discuss, others do not, and as someone once said, you can’t participate in everything. You have to consider the short, medium, and long term. I’ve practically made the decision not to attend the Club World Cup despite several invitations,” stated Ronaldo.
At 40 years old, Ronaldo was speaking in Munich just a day before Portugal’s Nations League final against Spain.
Infantino had mentioned recently that Ronaldo, who is still under contract with Saudi club Al-Nassr until the end of June, could switch to one of the 32 clubs participating in the Club World Cup due to a special transfer window set up for the tournament.
Ronaldo stirred speculation further when he stated “this chapter is over” after Al-Nassr’s last game in the Saudi Pro League.
He was associated with several teams participating in the Club World Cup, including Brazil’s Palmeiras. The possibility of transferring to Al-Nassr’s rival, Al-Hilal — the only Saudi club that qualified — was also considered a potential option to see Ronaldo play in the tournament, where his fierce rival Lionel Messi is set to play for Inter Miami.
FIFA would have appreciated the ticket sales boost that Ronaldo’s presence could bring, but such a switch to a rival club temporarily is deemed unthinkable for players in European leagues.
Both Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal are key Saudi clubs endorsed by the nation’s Public Investment Fund, which holds a 75% stake in each. Recently, FIFA designated PIF as an “official partner” for the Club World Cup, with Saudi state funds substantially supporting the tournament’s broadcasting arrangements, facilitating its $1 billion prize pool to be distributed among participants.
“This is irrelevant right now,” Ronaldo responded when questioned about the Club World Cup, stating, “It’s senseless to discuss anything apart from the national team.”
Ronaldo propelled Portugal into the Nations League final on Wednesday with a memorable 2-1 victory over host country Germany, scoring his record-extending 137th goal for his nation. Should he feature in the match on Sunday, he will also achieve his record-extending 221st appearance for the national team.
