With 32 clubs involved in the revamped tournament, but not Cristiano Ronaldo’s current side Al-Nassr, the former Juventus attacker is understood to be in talks with a handful of teams.
The 40-year-old is trying to find an avenue to compete in the sporting bonanza, according to FIFA president Gianni Infantino. FIFA, soccer’s governing board, have initiated a special transfer window for the prestigious competition.
All 32 participating teams are permitted to acquire players specifically for this showcase event, with a transfer window between 1-10 June.
Brazil move
At the start of the week, there was speculation that one of four Brazilian teams had tried to lure Ronaldo to join them. Yet there’s been no further developments reported.
Infantino has acknowledged that there are genuine possibilities for Portuguese icon Ronaldo to participate in the tournament, although did not disclose the names of any clubs involved in discussions with the five-time Ballon D’Or winner.
Ronaldo won the Champions League four times during nine seasons with Real Madrid, before he joined Juventus for €100 million (US$112.5m) in 2018.
The legendary player, who was a goal machine and a fan-favorite in Turin, appears eager to play in what will surely be his last involvement at the Club World Cup finals.
Upset agents
Although Ronaldo's representatives have expressed their disappointment over Infantino's comments, according to US media outlet The Athletic, as a new deal at Al-Nassr could be thrashed out.
The expanded Club World Cup competition will take place in the United States from mid-June, so time is ticking for Ronaldo to decide on his future.
He is believed to be chewing over his next move, with his contract at Al-Nassr expiring on 30 June, but would only prioritize a highly competitive team if he left the Saudi Arabia club.
No-go Juventus
That would effectively rule out a return to the Turin titans, as they are expected to have a summer overhaul of players and have yet to appoint a permanent manager to tackle the 2025/26 Serie A campaign.
Infantino claimed during an interview with American YouTuber and streamer IShowSpeed, aka Darren Watkins Jr., that “there are discussions” over Ronaldo playing at the new-look Club World Cup.
After mentioning Ronaldo’s nemesis Lionel Messi playing for Inter Miami in the opening match of the tournament on 14 June, Infantino added: "Ronaldo might play for one of the teams as well, at the Club World Cup.
Hiring Ronaldo
“There are discussions with some clubs, so if any club is watching and is interested in hiring Ronaldo for the Club World Cup... who knows?”
This year's Club World Cup finals will be the inaugural tournament to feature more than eight clubs, and the first-ever to be contested during the summer.
Juventus are one of a dozen European clubs to qualify, and they will face Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in the round-robin group stages. The tournament ends on July 13, with the winning team receiving up to €88 million (US$92m) in prize money.
Ronaldo has been a roaring success in the Saudi Pro League, and with such an incredible thirst to keep on winning trophies he could sign for a team capable of lifting the coveted Club World Cup trophy rather than stay with with Al-Nassr.