Cristiano Ronaldo (40, Al Nassr) may return to Italy.
Italy's 'Areanapoli' reported on the 1st (Korea time), citing British 'Sky Sports,' that the Portuguese star Ronaldo is nearing the expiration of his contract with Al Nassr (Saudi Arabia) and has been suggested as a possibility for a contract with an Italian club.
Ronaldo, who is playing for Al Nassr, is contracted until June 30. However, Ronaldo is more interested in participating in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup than renewing his contract with Al Nassr.
The 2025 Club World Cup will be held in the United States, one of the hosts for the 2026 North American World Cup. However, with Al Nassr failing to secure a spot, Ronaldo's future has become uncertain.
Ronaldo has expressed a desire to sign with one of the teams participating in the Club World Cup instead of Al Nassr. He is contracted with Al Nassr until the end of June, making his participation in the Club World Cup from June 15 to July 13 difficult.
However, the system has been improved to allow player signings only for teams participating in the Club World Cup from June 1 to 10. Ronaldo wants to compete in this tournament, even if it means signing a short-term contract for one month.
According to the article, Ronaldo wishes to utilize the June transfer market as a free agent (FA) to join a team that competes in the Club World Cup, with interest shown from Real Madrid (Spain), Inter Milan (Italy), and Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia).
Real Madrid is preparing for Ronaldo's 'last dance,' having won the Ballon d'Or five times, while Inter Milan is in need of a reliable striker like Ronaldo. Al Hilal, another Saudi team, has achieved better results than Al Nassr, winning the championship last season.
Sky Sports noted that 'the possibility of Real Madrid and Inter Milan signing Ronaldo appears quite low,' emphasizing that an Al Hilal transfer could become a more realistic option.
Some have suggested that Ronaldo could add an option for participation in the Club World Cup when signing with Al Nassr, potentially making a short-term contract with a participating team during the tournament.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid and Al Hilal are grouped together in Group H with Pachuca (Mexico) and Salzburg (Austria). Inter Milan is positioned in Group E with River Plate (Argentina), Urawa Reds (Japan), and Monterrey (Mexico). Ulsan HD, representing Korea, is in Group F with Fluminense (Brazil), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), and Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa).
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