Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed he will not take part in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, despite interest from clubs competing in the expanded 32-team tournament.
The 40-year-old Al-Nassr and Portugal forward put an end to swirling speculation about a possible late move to a qualified club to feature in the event, following comments by FIFA President Gianni Infantino last month suggesting discussions were ongoing regarding Ronaldo’s participation, even though Al-Nassr did not qualify.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Ronaldo dismissed the possibility of signing for another club just to appear at the tournament.
“It’s irrelevant, at the moment it doesn’t make sense to talk about things other than the national team,” he said.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner acknowledged that he had received multiple approaches.
“There has been plenty of contact (from clubs), I see things that make sense, others that don’t. You can’t go to all of them, you have to think short, medium and long term,” he added.
“It’s something that’s practically decided on my part, which is not to go to the Club World Cup, but I’ve had plenty of invitations.”
Uncertainty Over Al-Nassr Future
Ronaldo’s future has been the subject of growing speculation after Al-Nassr sporting director Fernando Hierro confirmed last month that the Saudi Pro League club was in talks with the Portuguese star over a contract extension. However, Hierro also acknowledged strong interest from other clubs.
Fuel was added to the uncertainty when Ronaldo posted a cryptic message on social media following Al-Nassr’s season finale against Al-Fateh:
“This chapter is over. The story? Still being written.”
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Focus Shifts to Nations League Final
Ronaldo’s immediate focus remains with the national team. On Wednesday, he scored the decisive goal as Portugal beat Germany 2–1 to secure a place in the UEFA Nations League final, where they will face Spain.
Much of the build-up to Sunday’s final has been framed as a symbolic clash between Ronaldo and 17-year-old Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal. However, the veteran striker downplayed any individual rivalry.
“It’s always been like that, whenever I’ve played a big game it’s always been ‘Cristiano against this one, against that one’,” he said.
“It’s been 20-something years and it’s still the same, it doesn’t keep me up at night anymore. It’s a normal thing.”
“They’re completely different generations, a generation that’s starting out, another that’s finishing which is my case,” he added.
“In reality, it’s not like that. It’s a team against a team. It will always be like that. What I want most is for Portugal to be at a good level, confident that things can go well, that we can play a great game and win against a very good team, possibly the best in the world.”
