FIFA president Gianni Infantino has claimed “there are discussions” over Cristiano Ronaldo playing at the Club World Cup this summer.
Ronaldo’s club, Al-Nassr of the Saudi Pro League, failed to qualify for the expanded 32-team tournament in the United States.
But Infantino says the 40-year-old Portugal forward, who is out of contract this summer, could still feature in the new-look event.
During an interview with YouTuber and streamer IShowSpeed, Infantino talked about Ronaldo’s great rival Lionel Messi playing in the tournament’s opening game on 14 June for his Inter Miami side.
He then added: “And Ronaldo might play for one of the teams as well at the Club World Cup.
“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.”
This year’s Club World Cup will be the first to be played in the summer and the first to feature more than eight teams.
World football’s governing body Fifa has therefore introduced an additional transfer window from 1-10 June, allowing clubs to complete deals in time for the tournament.
Real and Juve are among the 12 European clubs that have qualified, which includes Premier League teams Chelsea and Manchester City
Between them either Ronaldo or Messi won the Ballon d’Or from 2008 to 2017, before Messi won it three more times to give the Argentine forward, 37, a record eight wins.
Messi’s Inter Miami are in the same group as Egypt’s Al Ahly, Portuguese side Porto and Brazilian club Palmeiras.
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