Cristiano Ronaldo future: 40-year-old turns down opportunity to move to Club World Cup participants this summer

Cristiano Ronaldo has turned down the opportunity to play at the Club World Cup this summer, rebuffing interest from Brazilian club Fluminense.

The Brazilian club will be at the tournament courtesy of their Copa Libertadores success in 2023, and they are the current club of former Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Chelsea defender Thiago Silva.

Fluminense will face Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan Hyundai and Mamelodi Sundowns in the USA this summer, but without Ronaldo in their squad, after he turned down an audacious approach from the club to sign the 40-year-old in time for the tournament.

It is looking likely Ronaldo will leave Al-Nassr this summer, and at present, he will not be featuring at the Club World Club, after the Saudi club failed to qualify, due to their sub-par performances in the AFC Champions League.

Ronaldo to miss out on the Club World Cup

© Imago

Despite the best efforts of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who has been desperately trying to lure one of the 32 clubs taking part into signing Ronaldo, it looks as though no move will materialise in time, ahead of the beginning of the competition next week.

Al-Nassr are still in talks to extend the veteran forward's contract, but the Public Investment Fund that controls Saudi Arabia's finances were reportedly seeking to manufacture a move for Ronaldo to Al-Hilal, who will compete at the Club World Club.

Any transfer to Al-Hilal looks unlikely though, as the club's board swiftly acted against the move, with Ronaldo's future still well and truly up in the air.

Fluminense revealed as the Brazilian club who moved for Ronaldo

© Imago

Another club also threw their hat into the ring, offering Ronaldo an opportunity to play at the competition, as Fluminense made an informal request to see if the Portuguese great would join the club.

Club president Mario Bittencourt has gone on the record to say that he contacted Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes to enquire about his client's future.

Mendes and Ronaldo rebuffed the enquiry though, with the player saying he does not wish to move to Brazil

In response to the reports, Bittencourt said publicly: "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 [for Fluminense], but he was very clear in telling me that he's not interested in playing in Brazil for now."

Despite now being in his 40s and moving to Saudi, Ronaldo is still a regular at international level and he will be in action for Portugal this week, as they face Germany in the UEFA Nations League semi-finals on Wednesday night.

Written by
Andrew Delaney