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Ronaldo will play no part in the showpiece event slated to be held in the US in the June-July window as Al-Nassr lost the only qualification spot from the Saudi to Al-Hilal.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi.
Legendary footballer Cristiano Ronaldo continues to excel for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League but the club’s most iconic figure will be missing at the 2025 Club World Cup after his team failed to qualify. While Ronaldo continues to defy age and is showing no signs of slowing down, he won’t get a crack at the FIFA Club World Cup this year.
Ronaldo’s undying hunger for success has seen him top the scoring charts for Al-Nassr in the 2024-25 season of the Saudi League. But the Portugal great will have to give a miss to the showpiece Club World Cup slated to be held in the United States in the June-July window after his club couldn’t qualify despite an expanded tournament. Al-Nassr and Ronaldo missed the bus after failing to meet FIFA’s strict qualification criteria.
According to the football federation’s qualification structure, teams that won their domestic leagues or their continental titles are heavily favoured to take part in the 32-team event. Al-Nassr’s failure to win the Saudi Pro League and AFC Champions League during the qualification window meant they were always unlikely to find a place in the much-awaited tournament in the USA.
Ronaldo’s team finished runners-up, losing the only qualification spot from the Saudi Pro League to Al-Hilal which raced to the 2023-24 title win with a gap of 14 points after going unbeaten during their campaign. The club features stars like Kalidou Koulibaly and Ruben Neves and will be battling it out in the Club World Cup where heavyweights Real Madrid, Manchester City and Bayern Munich are taking part.
Ronaldo, who has won the Club World Cup once with Manchester United and thrice with Real Madrid, may have played his last edition of the tournament aged 40. Al-Nassr now require serious improvements in their game to qualify for the 2029 event. Despite Ronaldo’s presence among their other stars, the club is enduring an underwhelming campaign as they trail far behind Al-Ittihad.
Ronaldo’s arch-rival and Argentina great Lionel Messi will be present at the Club World Cup after Inter Miami made it as hosts with the only CONCACAF spot. Urawa Red Diamonds, Al Ain and Ulsan HD are the other sides that made it from the AFC region while Monterrey, Seattle Sounders and Pachuca qualified from North America, with another continental spot yet to be determined.
Al Ahly, Wydad Casablanca, Esperance de Tunis and Mamelodi Sundowns will be the African sides at the tournament. From South America, Palmeiras, Fluminense, Flamengo, Botafogo, River Plate, Boca Juniors have qualified. Auckland City took the only Oceanic spot. Apart from Real Madrid, Manchester City and Bayern Munich, PSG, Inter, Porto, Benfica, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Red Bull Salzburg and Chelsea are the other UEFA qualifiers.
