FIFA President Gianni Infantino has left open the possibility of Cristiano Ronaldo taking part in this summer's Club World Cup in the United States, A2 CNN reports. Although his current team, Al-Nassr, failed to qualify for the 32-team tournament, Infantino revealed that "there are discussions" about the Portuguese's inclusion in the competition.
In an interview with popular YouTuber IShowSpeed, Infantino first spoke about Lionel Messi, who will play for Inter Miami in the opening match on June 14. He then added: "And maybe Ronaldo will also play for some team in the Club World Cup. There are discussions with some clubs."
Ronaldo's contract with Al-Nassr ends on June 30, while FIFA has opened an additional transfer window from June 1 to 10 to enable signings for the tournament.
According to Spanish newspaper Marca, an unnamed Brazilian club has made an offer for Ronaldo. One of the candidates could be Botafogo, one of the four Brazilian teams that have qualified. Their coach, Renato Paiva, did not deny the interest, saying: "A star like Ronaldo cannot be rejected."
Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, has won the Champions League four times with Real Madrid and remains one of the most feared scorers, despite being 40 years old.
With big teams like Real Madrid, Juventus, Chelsea and Manchester City in the tournament, Ronaldo's participation would further increase the prestige of this new edition of the Club World Cup. (A2 Televizion)
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