Argentine football club River Plate's head coach, Marcelo Gallardo, has revealed he made an informal approach to Cristiano Ronaldo to represent the club at the 2025 Club World Cup. Despite multiple offers, the Portuguese superstar, now 40, confirmed earlier in June that he would not be participating in the tournament.
Gallardo, who previously managed Ronaldo in a friendly match in 2023, explained that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner considered his proposal but ultimately declined to focus on the upcoming season. The offer was made informally in mid-March through a mutual acquaintance.
"In mid-March, informally, through a mutual friend, I told him, ‘Hey, I have a Club World Cup coming up, for a player like you, who defined an era… don’t you have any intention of playing in it?'" Gallardo told ESPN. He further added that Ronaldo felt recognized and evaluated the offer, but ultimately responded by stating he needs to prepare for the next season.
While Ronaldo’s current club, Al Nassr, didn't qualify for the Club World Cup, FIFA president Gianni Infantino suggested in May that there had been discussions about Ronaldo potentially playing for a team at the tournament. However, Ronaldo later confirmed his likely absence, citing the need to prioritize short, medium, and long-term goals.
"There have been a lot of conversations, but there are certain things that I see as making sense and not making sense," Ronaldo said. "You can’t go to everything, you have to think short, medium and long term. I’ve pretty much made up my mind not to go to the Club World Cup, but I’ve had plenty of offers."
Al Hilal CEO Esteve Calzada also mentioned that signing Ronaldo on loan from Al Nassr would have been "completely counter intuitive" for his club. It appears the dream of seeing Ronaldo at the Club World Cup, at least in this instance, will remain just that – a dream.