Ronaldo to join Messi at Club World Cup?

Could Cristiano Ronaldo make a sensational transfer to allow him to appear at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup?

Rumours have emerged that Al Hilal plan to allow Neymar to leave the club in January 2025 and then replace him with Cristiano Ronaldo.

This move would then allow Ronaldo to play against Lionel Messi and other stars at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup as Al Hilal qualified by winning the 2021 AFC Champions League.

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However, Al Hilal CEO Esteve Calzada has poured cold water on those rumours. "That sounds like science fiction," Calzada said.

GiveMeSport report, via Fabrizio Romano on X, that he then added: "CR7 is not our player so it's difficult to comment on that. He's not a free agent now, it's not nice to talk about that."

While it is true that Cristiano Ronaldo is not a free agent, his contract does expire in June 2025 and an early exit could not be ruled out.

Al-Nassr would have little motivation to make any move that saw their top striker join what is already the best side in the Saudi Pro League.

However, Cristiano Ronaldo would have all the motivation to make the move. Not only are Al Hilal a much better team than Al-Nassr, but they are playing in the Club World Cup in the summer.

Ronaldo vs Messi again

Ronaldo is the top scorer in Club World Cup history with seven goals, a record he would love to extend, especially because Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez are both just behind him on 5 goals.

And both men will be playing at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

Their club, Inter Miami, qualified in the "host" slot as winners of the MLS Supporters Shield. It was a strange decision but fans viewed as a cynical one because FIFA wanted all the media attention and sponsorship interests that Lionel Messi brings with him.

Now imagine they were to add Cristiano Ronaldo to that?

Inter Miami have been drawn in Group A alongside Palmeiras, Porto and Al Ahly. So there is certainly a chance that Messi or Suarez could score the goals needed to surpass Ronaldo's goal record of seven.

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As if that wasn't enough, Al Hilal are in Group H along with Red Bull Salzburg, Pachuca and Real Madrid.

So not only would we get to run back the goalscoring arms race between Messi and Ronaldo, but we would also get Ronaldo vs. Real Madrid.

That would be music to FIFA's ears, especially as their qualification process means that the two best teams in the world right now (Barcelona and Liverpool) won't even be at the Club World Cup. Whoops!

No matter how tantalising FIFA and their marketing department would find all of this, however, Esteve Calzada has made it clear that any such deal is unlikely at this stage.