Al-Nassr and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo said yesterday he did not plan to play at the Club World Cup in the US — despite being courted by clubs participating in the expanded 32-team tournament.
Speculation over the 40-year-old’s future intensified last month when Fifa president Gianni Infantino said discussions were underway about Ronaldo playing in the Club World Cup, despite Al-Nassr failing to qualify.
Al-Nassr’s sporting director Fernando Hierro said last month they were negotiating with Ronaldo over a contract extension but faced competition from a host of clubs eager to sign the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Ronaldo himself added to the uncertainty after Al-Nassr’s season-ending match at Al-Fateh, posting on social media: “This chapter is over. The story? Still being written.”
Asked about the possibility of signing for another club in the coming days in order to play at the Club World Cup later this month, Ronaldo told reporters: “It’s irrelevant; at the moment it doesn’t make sense to talk about things other than the national team.
“There has been plenty of contact (from clubs), I see things that make sense, others that don’t. You can’t go to all of them (clubs), you have to think short, medium and long term. It’s something that’s practically decided on my part, which is not to go to the Club World Cup, but I’ve had plenty of invitations.”
On Wednesday, Ronaldo scored the winner as Portugal beat Germany 2-1 to go into the Uefa Nations League final, where they face Spain today.
Many have labelled the final as a face-off between Ronaldo and 17-year-old Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal but the Portuguese forward said he did not see it as such. “It’s always been like that, whenever I’ve played football, whenever I’ve played a big game, it’s always been Cristiano against this one, against that one.
“It’s been 20-something years and it’s still the same. It doesn’t keep me up at night anymore; it’s a normal thing. They’re completely different generations, a generation that’s starting out, another that’s finishing, which is my case.
“In reality it’s not like that, it’s a team against a team. It will always be like that... What I want most is for Portugal to be at a good level, confident that things can go well, that we can play a great game and win against a very good team, possibly the best in the world.”
Yamal’s match-winning performance against France in the semifinals of the Nations League on Thursday has underlined his Ballon d’Or credentials, said Spain manager Luis de la Fuente. “Yamal has made a statement tonight, and shown he should win the Ballon d’Or,” he told broadcaster RTVE.
“He’s the best player in the world and, in my opinion, of course, he deserves to win the Ballon d’Or.”
The Barcelona sensation lifted Spain to a thrilling 5-4 win over France by scoring twice, which sent the holders through to their third successive Nations League final where they face Iberian neighbours Portugal.
The contest to lift the prestigious golden ball trophy in September is widely seen as one between Yamal and France forward Ousmane Dembele, with both playing crucial roles for their clubs and countries this season.
The 28-year-old Dembele, a former Barcelona man, can boast of Champions League, Ligue 1, French Cup and French Super Cup titles this campaign, while Yamal has LaLiga, Spanish Cup and Spanish Super Cup titles to his name. “I always say the same thing to mom, that I try to give my all,” Yamal said.
“That is what motivates me and what gets me up in the morning. It is why I play football. It’s always best to speak on the pitch.”
The nominees for the 2025 edition of the Ballon d’Or Award, which covers August 1-July 31, will be announced at the start of August, with the ceremony taking place on September 22.
Reuters
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