Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed he will not take part in this month’s FIFA Club World Cup, despite receiving multiple offers from teams involved in the tournament.
The 40-year-old forward is currently nearing the end of his contract with Al-Nassr, which expires in late June. Following the club’s failure to qualify for the Club World Cup, FIFA President Gianni Infantino hinted at the possibility of Ronaldo joining another team for the competition.
However, Ronaldo put the speculation to rest, stating:
“I will not be at the Club World Cup. Some teams reached out to me — some made sense, others didn’t. But you can’t try to do everything. You can’t catch every ball.”
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner previously fueled speculation about his next move after posting on social media that “the chapter is over” following Al-Nassr’s final league game in May. Despite this, sources close to BBC Sport indicate that the Saudi club remains confident of securing an extension to Ronaldo’s deal.
Future Plans Nearly Decided
Speaking ahead of Portugal’s Nations League final against Spain on Sunday (20:00 BST), Ronaldo hinted that a decision on his future is nearly complete.
“It’s almost final,” he said, without revealing further details.
Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr in 2023 after parting ways with Manchester United and has since made a remarkable impact in Saudi Arabia, scoring 99 goals in 111 appearances, including 35 goals in 41 matches last season alone.
Still Delivering at the Highest Level
The veteran striker continues to demonstrate his value on the international stage. On Wednesday, he scored the decisive goal in Portugal’s 2-1 win over Germany, securing their place in the Nations League final.
