Cristiano Ronaldo turns down offer from Argentine club to play at FIFA Club World Cup

"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.

Gallardo hoped to secure Ronaldo on a short-term loan from Al Nassr, taking advantage of FIFA’s rules that allow such temporary moves during the tournament. While Ronaldo considered the proposal, he ultimately turned it down, telling Gallardo: "I have to prepare for next season."

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup features 32 teams and boasts a prize pool of US$1 billion. Although Al Nassr did not qualify for the tournament, Ronaldo received interest from clubs in Morocco, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and even Saudi Arabia’s biggest club Al Hilal.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino also publicly encouraged clubs to sign the five-time Ballon d'Or winner to boost the competition’s profile.

At a press conference on June 7, one day before the UEFA Nations League final, Ronaldo said he had received an offer from Argentina and expressed interest in visiting the country someday. However, the 40-year-old chose to remain at Al Nassr. His contract is set to expire at the end of June 2025, and an extension has yet to be finalized.

Gallardo, 49, a former attacking midfielder for Argentina, led River Plate to two Copa Libertadores titles before briefly managing Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia during the 2023–2024 season, while Ronaldo captained Al Nassr. After failing to secure any silverware in Saudi Arabia, Gallardo returned to River Plate.