Cristiano Ronaldo And Lionel Messi To Face Off In Club World Cup? FIFA President Gianni Infantino Drops A Bombshell

FIFA announced on Wednesday that last-minute transfer additions are permitted for all teams competing in the FIFA Club World Cup, which has further fuelled the return of Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo's Al-Nassr failed to qualify for the expanded 32-club tournament, while Lionel Messi's Inter Miami will take part in this competition.

Will Cristiano Ronaldo And Lionel Messi Play Together In FIFA Club World Cup?

Ronaldo's current contract expires this season, and the 40-year-old hasn't renewed his stay as of now. Despite hitting the twilight of his career, the former Manchester United star has continued to hit his stride, having been involved in 38 goals this campaign. For the first time, the FIFA Club World Cup will have an expanded version as it will take place across 11 cities. Teams like Real Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea, Inter Milan and PSG are poised to compete in the tournament, and FIFA has planned a grand format this time.

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FIFA president Gianni Infantino hinted that Cristiano Ronaldo might take part in the competition, which starts next month. As quoted by the BBC, in a conversation with YouTuber and streamer IShowSpeed, he said, "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."

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Cristiano Ronaldo Still Has His Scoring Boots On

Ronaldo lifted a plethora of trophies in his career, including four FIFA Club World Cups. Should he not sign an extension with Al-Nassr, he would be open to moving to try a new challenge. But with his contract expiring in June, any clubs that want to hire his services would have to shell out a transfer fee in order to sign him. As per Marca, Ronaldo's entourage received an offer from a Brazilian club, and given Al-Nassr's lack of trophy count, he might consider leaving Saudi Arabia in the near future.