FIFA’s Gianni Infantino says ‘there are discussions’ for Cristiano Ronaldo to play in Club World Cup

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has mentioned “there are discussions” for Cristiano Ronaldo to play at this summer time’s newly-expanded Membership World Cup.

Al Nassr, Ronaldo’s present membership, didn’t qualify to play within the event with their Riyadh-based rivals Al Hilal the one Saudi Arabian membership competing within the event.

Representatives of the 40-year-old Portugal ahead, chatting with The Athletic, expressed their unhappiness at Infantino’s feedback relating to Ronaldo’s future.

Ronaldo has been in negotiations to increase his contract with Al Nassr and whereas no settlement has been discovered, there aren’t any plans for him to exit in a mortgage deal.

“Ronaldo might play for one of the teams as well at the Club World Cup,” Infantino told IShowSpeed, the American YouTuber and on-line streamer. “There are discussions.”

When requested once more if Ronaldo would play within the event, Infantino responded: “Yeah, 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.”

When requested if “Inter Miami are going to go against (Real) Madrid, maybe”, Infantino replied: “Maybe, it could be.”

In October, FIFA, world soccer’s governing physique, unanimously authorized a proposal that permits nationwide associations to create an “exceptional registration window” from June 1 to June 10, enabling groups competing within the Membership World Cup to finish transfers earlier than the event.

The revamped Membership World Cup takes place between June 14 and July 13 in america.

The event will encompass 32 groups, together with Ronaldo’s former sides Actual Madrid and Juventus. Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami additionally certified for the event by the host nation slot after profitable the 2024 MLS Supporters’ Protect.

FIFA have struggled to promote tickets for some group matches within the Membership World Cup, with The Athletic detailing final week how the organisation has dropped the worth of tickets as soon as once more, with a brand new tier of decrease pricing.

FIFA has been working a “variable pricing model” for this event, which is extra generally referred to as dynamic pricing. When demand is excessive, this may result in costs skyrocketing, whereas when demand is low, it will possibly work within the favour of the patron and result in decrease costs.

Ronaldo joined Al Nassr in December 2022 after having had his contract terminated at Manchester United.

Ronaldo started his profession at Sporting CP earlier than starring at Manchester United, the place he scored 118 targets throughout six seasons, profitable three Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2008.

The ahead received the primary of 5 Ballon d’Or titles for the perfect males’s participant of a calendar yr in 2008, earlier than becoming a member of Actual Madrid in 2009 — the place he turned the membership’s all-time report aim scorer with 450 targets in 438 appearances, profitable 15 trophies together with 4 Champions League titles.

He went on to attain 101 targets throughout three seasons at Italian membership Juventus, profitable two Serie A titles, earlier than returning to United in 2021 and becoming a member of Al Nassr 16 months later.

Ronaldo, who has 935 targets in his skilled profession, is the report aim scorer in worldwide soccer with 136 targets in 219 caps for Portugal.

(Prime picture of Cristiano Ronaldo: Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Photos)