FIFA president Gianni Infantino has caused quite a stir with a bold claim about Cristiano Ronaldo and the upcoming Club World Cup. The newly revamped tournament kicks off on June 14 and runs until the final on July 13, with organisers determined to shed its old image as a glorified midseason friendly and amplify its prestige.
Among the many changes set to debut this summer: the competition will no longer be held annually but will now follow a quadrennial cycle, just like the World Cup. The number of teams participating has ballooned from seven to 32, and qualification is no longer simply about winning your continent's top competition, and rather based on club performance across a four-year span.
These sweeping adjustments are sure to draw more attention to the tournament, but they haven't come without controversy. Critics have pointed out that Liverpool - this season’s Premier League champions - won’t be there. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi is expected to feature for Inter Miami, but Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr are currently out of the picture. But for the latter, he could still find a way around it, according to Infantino.
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Cristiano Ronaldo
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has claimed that “there are discussions” underway for Cristiano Ronaldo to feature in this summer’s newly-expanded Club World Cup. As it stands, the only Saudi Pro League side set to appear is Al-Hilal.
However, the FIFA chief appeared to let slip that the Manchester United and Real Madrid icon could still find a way into the tournament, potentially through a loan move or a permanent switch to one of the qualified teams, allowing him to take part in the North American-hosted spectacle.
“Ronaldo might play for one of the teams as well at the Club World Cup,” Infantino told IShowSpeed, an American YouTuber and online streamer. He added (watch the full interaction below):
“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.”
As reported by The Athletic, Ronaldo’s camp has been left furious over Infantino’s comments, insisting there are no plans for the Portuguese star to go out on loan this summer. The 40-year-old is currently in talks over a contract extension in Saudi Arabia, and all signs point to him finishing his glittering career right where he is.
Ronaldo, who has an astonishing 935 goals in his professional career, remains the all-time leading scorer in international football with 136 goals in 219 appearances for Portugal. A five-time Ballon d’Or winner during his legendary spells in England and Spain, Ronaldo’s story may still have one more chapter to write, as he hopes to one day share the pitch with his son, Cristiano Jr., who’s now working to follow in his father’s iconic footsteps after recently making his international youth team debut.