Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly engaged in negotiations to participate in FIFA’s upcoming inaugural Club World Cup, set to take place across multiple cities in the United States this summer, according to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Despite Ronaldo’s current club, Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr, failing to qualify for the tournament, Infantino hinted that the superstar striker could still appear by transferring temporarily to one of the 32 competing clubs. This unusual possibility is facilitated by a special transfer window arranged exclusively for the event.
Speaking on popular streamer IShowSpeed’s YouTube channel, which boasts over 39 million subscribers, Infantino said, “Cristiano Ronaldo might be part of the Club World Cup. There are ongoing discussions with certain clubs, so if any team is interested in signing him for the competition, why not? There’s still some time left; it would definitely add excitement.”
FIFA officially confirmed this week that clubs qualified for the tournament are allowed to make last-minute signings, opening the door to a potential short-term deal for Ronaldo — possibly even a loan — to boost the tournament’s visibility and attendance.
Such a transfer would be groundbreaking in modern football, potentially bringing Ronaldo and Lionel Messi back together in the same competition for the first time since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Last year, FIFA extended an invitation to Messi’s Inter Miami to take part in the tournament as the host nation’s representative, although the team did not qualify through the MLS playoffs.
Rumors have surfaced linking Ronaldo to clubs including Al Hilal from Saudi Arabia (the sole Saudi qualifier), Brazil’s Palmeiras, and Morocco’s Wydad—despite Wydad currently facing a FIFA ban on registering new players.
FIFA’s exceptional transfer periods for the tournament run from June 1 to 10 and then again from June 27 to July 3. The governing body said the policy aims to “help clubs and players with expiring contracts find suitable arrangements that allow player participation in the event.”