-
1 hour ago
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo says he will not play at this month’s Club World Cup after turning down offers from participating teams.
The 40-year-old is out of contract with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr at the end of June.
In May, Fifa president Gianni Infantino raised the prospect of Ronaldo joining a team involved at the Club World Cup after Al-Nassr’s failure to qualify.
“I will not be at the Club World Cup,” said Ronaldo.
“Some teams reached out to me. Some made sense and others did not, but you can’t try and do everything. You can’t catch every ball.”
Ronaldo posted on social media that “the chapter is over” following Al-Nassr’s final league game of the season in May, leading to speculation he was set for a move.
However, sources have told BBC Sport that the club are confident of extending Ronaldo’s deal.
Speaking before Portugal’s Nations League final against Spain on Sunday (20:00 BST), Ronaldo said a decision on his future was “almost final”.
The striker joined Al-Nassr in 2023 after the termination of his deal with Manchester United.
He has scored 99 goals in 111 appearances for the club, including 35 times in 41 matches last term.
Ronaldo scored the winner in a 2-1 victory against Germany on Wednesday to book Portugal’s spot in the Nations League final.
