Will Cristiano Ronaldo Play in the 2025 Club World Cup?

The 2025 Club World Cup kicks off on June 14––but will Ronaldo be there?

Cristiano Ronaldo is still one of the globe's most recognizable players. / IMAGO/Naushad

The revamped FIFA Club World Cup is just around the corner.

Kicking off on June 14, the newly expanded tournament will feature 32 of the world’s top soccer clubs competing over a month-long spectacle across the United States. With a fresh format and a massive prize pool, this edition promises to be the biggest yet.

Among the elite teams confirmed are newly crowned European champion Paris Saint-Germain, featuring stars like Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué; Real Madrid, now boasting Kylian Mbappé; Chelsea and Cole Palmer; River Plate and Argentine prodigy Franco Mastantuono; and perhaps most notably, Lionel Messi leading Inter Miami.

Amid such a star-studded lineup, one name you’d typically expect to see is Cristiano Ronaldo—Lionel Messi’s longtime rival and one of soccer’s most iconic global superstars.

But will he be there this year? Here’s everything you need to know.

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Have Ronaldo and Al-Nassr Qualified for the 2025 Club World Cup?

Al-Nassr didn't qualify the 2025 Club World Cup. / AFLOSPORT/IMAGO

No, Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr have not qualified for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

Representing Saudi Arabia, Al-Nassr compete under the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)—one of FIFA’s six continental governing bodies.

Only four AFC clubs secured places in the tournament. Three of those spots went to the most recent winners of the AFC Champions League—now known as the AFC Champions League Elite. Those teams were Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia (2021 champions), Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan (2022 champions), and Al Ain from the United Arab Emirates, who won the 2023–24 edition.

The fourth and final AFC spot was awarded to Ulsan HD of South Korea, who qualified as the highest-ranked eligible team in the AFC’s four-year ranking among clubs that hadn’t won the Champions League during the qualifying cycle.

Al-Nassr finished fifth in that ranking—behind Al Hilal, Ulsan HD, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, and Kawasaki Frontale—leaving them three places short of qualification.

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Could Ronaldo Still Play in the 2025 Club World Cup?

Cristiano Ronaldo is out of contract with Al-Nassr this summer. / IMAGO/Naushad

Ronaldo confirmed that he had multiple offers to compete in the new-look Club World Cup, but he chose not to compete in the competition.

“There have been a lot of proposals,” Ronaldo told the media. ”I see some things that make sense and others that don’t. You can’t go to every tournament.

“You have to think short, medium and long term. It’s a decision that has practically been made on my part, not to go to the Club World Cup, even though I’ve had a lot of invitations.”

The Portuguese forward, who turned 40 in early 2025, is out of contract with Al-Nassr on June 30 and has yet to sign an extension. He’s even fueled speculation about his departure from Riyadh with a cryptic social media post following the conclusion of the Saudi Pro League season, writing: “This chapter is over. The story? Still being written. Grateful to all.”

Reports suggest that Moroccan side Wydad AC showed interest in signing Ronaldo on a short-term deal specifically for the tournament, hoping his presence could boost their chances of success. Other qualified clubs—such as Inter Miami and Al-Hilal—were also linked with a potential move.

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Ronaldo’s History in the Club World Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo with the old Club World Cup trophy in 2016. / IMAGO/AFLOSPORT

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most successful players in the history of the FIFA Club World Cup, having won the tournament four times.

He’s also the competition’s all-time leading scorer, with seven goals in just eight appearances. However, that goalscoring record is under serious threat this year. With the tournament expanding from seven teams to 32, there will be significantly more matches—and therefore more opportunities for players to rack up goals and potentially surpass Ronaldo’s tally.

Ronaldo first lifted the trophy in 2008 with Manchester United. He went on to win it three more times with Real Madrid in 2014, 2016, and 2017, scoring in the final of the latter two. In 2016, he delivered a memorable hat-trick against Kashima Antlers. The following year, he netted the decisive goal in a 1–0 win over Grêmio.

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