The Club World Cup, taking place in its new format for the first time, will go ahead without Cristiano Ronaldo. He announced his decision against a last-minute transfer in the newly introduced transfer window himself.
Two weeks ago, FIFA President Gianni Infantino himself fueled rumors that Cristiano Ronaldo could participate in the Club World Cup with his club Al-Nassr despite missing out on qualification. “Ronaldo could also play for one of the teams in the Club World Cup,” Infantino said in an interview with YouTuber IShowSpeed.
This would be possible thanks to the additional transfer window introduced by FIFA. “There are talks with some clubs, so if any club is watching and is interested in signing Ronaldo for the Club World Cup, who knows, who knows,” the Swiss said at the time.
However, the talks were apparently unsuccessful. On Saturday, Cristiano Ronaldo himself put an end to speculation about his participation in the competition. “There were many contacts. I see things that make sense, others that don’t. You have to think in the short, medium and long term. It’s a decision that was practically made on my side, namely not to participate in the Club World Cup,” CR7 explained at the press conference ahead of Sunday’s Nations League final against Spain (9 p.m.).
While the 40-year-old announced his decision regarding his short-term future, his medium-term future remains open, with the Portuguese player’s contract expiring on July 1. He himself hinted at a move at the end of last month, which is likely to be announced shortly. However, the end of his career is unlikely. “There is no set date for my retirement. I feel happy, I’m here to enjoy myself and keep going until the day I feel like stopping,“ said Cristiano Ronaldo, who also knows that he doesn’t have ”many years left.”
