Cristiano Ronaldo has said he will not participate in the upcoming inaugural expanded Club World Cup despite revealing that “some teams reached out” to the Portugal captain.
Ronaldo, whose contract with Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr expires at the end of June, fuelled speculation about possibly competing in the tournament – which kicks off in the United States next week – when he posted a cryptic social media message in May that read “this chapter is over” following Al-Nassr’s final league game of the season.
Reports suggested the wealthy Public Investment Fund (PIF), a major investor in the Saudi Pro League, were negotiating a bid to “convince Ronaldo to stay and play”, with Al-Hilal and an appearance in the Club World Cup a possible option for Ronaldo.
But it appears the 40-year-old will not be featuring in the competition after all, despite, according to the forward, attracting interest from a number of competing clubs.
Speaking ahead of his country’s Nations League final against Spain on Sunday evening in Munich, Ronaldo said: “I will not be at the Club World Cup.
“Some teams reached out to me. Some made sense and others did not, but you can’t try and do everything. You can’t catch every ball.”
Final, aqui vamos nós! ☄️ #FazHistória | #GERPOR #NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/mBiRxFrQDq
— Portugal (@selecaoportugal) June 4, 2025
The striker joined Al-Nassr in 2023 from Manchester United after the termination of his deal at Old Trafford.
His future remains unclear but the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who scored the winner for Portugal in a 2-1 victory against Germany on Wednesday, revealed a decision was “almost final”.
In his two years in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo has scored 99 goals in 111 appearances for Al-Nassr, including 35 times in 41 matches last term.
