There continues to be ongoing soccer transfer rumors that Cristiano Ronaldo is pushing to play in the FIFA Club World Cup hosted in the United States this summer. While the importance of the Club World Cup continues to be debated, it is hard to deny the excitement in some countries, especially in the United States, Brazil and Mexico among others, absent from the iconic Champions League tournament.
Will Premier League players be quite as excited to play for potentially another month after a grueling EPL season has already ended? This feels unlikely, but it does not mean fans should not be excited.
Is Ronaldo playing in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup? With the tournament slated to start on June 14, Ronaldo is currently not playing in the Club World Cup.
Yet, there are rumors that Ronaldo’s status in the tournament could change. Ronaldo is currently playing for Al-Nassr, a club in the Saudi Pro League, who is not a team in the Club World Cup.
Will Ronaldo Play in the FIFA Club World Cup?
Ronaldo’s contract with Al-Nassr technically ends on June 30. A Club World Cup team would need to reach a financial agreement with Al-Nassr in order for Ronaldo to be able to join Messi in playing in the soccer tournament.
Ronaldo posted a cryptic message on social media, indicating his time with Al-Nassr has come to an end. FIFA president Gianni Infantino intensified the transfer rumors hinting that Ronaldo could play in the Club World Cup.
“And Ronaldo might play for one of the teams as well at the Club World Cup,” Infantino said during an interview with IShowSpeed, per The Athletic. “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, who knows.”
It is worth noting that FIFA has a financial interest in Ronaldo playing in the tournament. Casual American fans would love one final opportunity to watch Ronaldo take the pitch in person which would likely cause ticket prices to spike.
Ronaldo Transfer Rumors: Club World Cup Teams Who Could Sign the Star
Ronaldo has until the Club World Cup transfer window ends on June 10 to join one of the participating teams, per The Athletic. The outlet ruled out Ronaldo signing with nearly every Club World Cup team, with the exception of Monterrey.
“In recent seasons, the Mexicans have been known for signing La Liga stars such as Sergio Canales and especially Sergio Ramos,” The Athletic’s Guillermo Rai detailed on May 31.
“For that reason, it might seem logical that they would be looking to do the same with Ronaldo. However, very senior sources at Monterrey played down this option ahead of the Club World Cup: ‘We haven’t moved on anything at all. But there is so much noise that, if he wants to come and he comes for free, then we will think about it.'”
For now, Ronaldo is not playing in the Club World Cup, but this could all change in the coming days. Ronaldo has never been one to pass up a good marketing opportunity and could push to once again share the pitch against Messi at the Club World Cup, taking advantage of the growing market for international football in the United States.
is a sports and news contributor based in Atlanta, Georgia. For more than a decade, Jonathan has written for top media outlets like SI, Athlon Sports, Heavy.com and BetUS among others. Jonathan has traveled all over the world, attending major sporting events in England, Brazil, Italy and Spain. He graduated from UCF with a Master of Sport Business Management degree and has worked inside the industry in a variety of capacities in the sports world. Follow him on Twitter @JonDAdams.
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