Cristiano Ronaldo has turned down an offer to join Brazilian giants Fluminense for the upcoming Club World Cup.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino is keen for the 40 year old Portuguese legend to face off with stars like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Ousmane Dembele in the inaugural expanded tournament set to start in the United States later this month.
Reports surfaced last month of a Brazilian side making overtures towards Ronaldo. Now, Fluminense president Mario Bittencourt has revealed that he reached out to Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes to propose a path to the tournament but was informed that Ronaldo has no current interest in playing in Brazil and is not in line to face Chelsea during the upcoming competititon.
Bittencourt shared: "I have a relationship with Jorge. Not a very close one but, if I call him, he answers.
"I asked him if there was any chance of Cristiano playing in the Club World Cup. He was very clear in telling me that he's not interested in playing in Brazil for now."
The ex-Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus star Ronaldo is currently engaged in talks to renew his lucrative £3.2million-a-week contract with Saudi Pro League team Al-Nassr.
Meanwhile, Messi is set to play for Inter Miami during the tournament after the MLS outfit controversially secured a spot because the event is hosted by the USA, with costs amounting to £1billion, reports [the Mirror](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/cristiano-ronaldo-club-world-cup-35336523).
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has expressed his desire to see Cristiano Ronaldo join a rival team to heighten the allure of the Club World Cup, a tournament that has faced criticism for contributing to an already congested football schedule.
Speaking to YouTuber and streamer IShowSpeed, Infantino revealed: "Ronaldo might play for one of the teams as well at the Club World Cup. There are discussions."
He further teased the possibility, saying: "Cristiano Ronaldo might play in the Club World Cup, yeah. 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."
The question of whether another club will snap up Cristiano Ronaldo is open for debate having also been linked with a move to fellow Saudi side Al Ahli.
Manchester City and Chelsea are among the clubs with a shot at claiming the £100m prize awarded to the Club World Cup winners. Fluminense from Rio will face off against Borussia Dortmund, Korea's Ulsan, and Mamelodi Sundowns from South Africa in the draw.
When Botafogo manager Renato Paiva was quizzed about the potential acquisition of Ronaldo, he responded with a touch of humour: "Christmas is only in December. But if he came, you can't say no to a star like that."
Paiva added, "I don't know anything - I'm just answering the question. But, as I said, coaches always want the best. Ronaldo, even at his age, is still a goal-scoring machine. In a team that creates chance after chance, he would be good."