Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed he will not be taking part in this month’s FIFA Club World Cup, despite receiving offers from several participating teams.
The 40-year-old forward is approaching the end of his contract with Saudi club Al-Nassr, which is set to expire at the end of June. In May, FIFA president Gianni Infantino hinted at the possibility of Ronaldo joining one of the qualified teams after Al-Nassr failed to qualify. However, Ronaldo has shut down the speculation:
“I will not be at the Club World Cup. Some teams reached out to me. Some offers made sense, others didn’t. But you can’t do everything, you can’t chase every ball,” he said.
Following Al-Nassr’s final league match of the season, Ronaldo posted on social media saying “the chapter is over,” sparking rumors about a potential transfer. Despite this, sources told BBC Sport that Al-Nassr remains confident in extending his contract.
Speaking ahead of Portugal’s Nations League final against Spain on Sunday (8:00 PM BST), Ronaldo said a decision about his future is “almost final.”
Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr in 2023 after his contract with Manchester United was terminated. Since then, he has scored 99 goals in 111 appearances, including 35 goals in 41 matches last season. Most recently, he netted the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Germany, securing Portugal’s spot in the Nations League final.
