Cristiano Ronaldo gives up on the Club World Cup

With less than a week to go until the kickoff of the Club World Cup – which will be held from June 14 to July 13 in the United States – there was still uncertainty surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo's possible participation. That has now been clarified. The captain of the Portuguese national team, the Seleçao, ruled out his potential visit to the United States on Sunday, June 8, after the Nations League victory over Spain (2-2, 5-3 on penalties) , a potential visit to the United States, a target of much speculation for several weeks.

"My future? Nothing will change. Will I stay at Al-Nassr ? Yes," he said in the mixed zone. This was a clear way of closing the door on a move away from the Saudi club, where he is expected to extend his contract, which expires at the end of June, but also of putting an end to persistent rumors that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner would join rivals Al-Hilal or Wydad Athletic Club in Casablanca, Morocco , two teams that will be competing in the competition.

With Al-Nassr not among the 32 international teams taking part in the Club World Cup, there will also be no reunion with his longtime rival, Lionel Messi , who qualified with Inter Miami. The possibility of seeing the two legends face off once again on the pitch would have fans salivating, nostalgic for their La Liga clashes, when the Portuguese played for Real Madrid and the Argentinian for FC Barcelona.

The day after his third title with the Seleçao (with Euro 2016 and the 2019 Nations League), the top scorer in the history of national football (138 goals in 221 matches) also wanted to point out that he is now 40 years old: "You know my age, and you obviously know that I am closer to the end than the beginning of my career, but I am enjoying every moment. If I don't get seriously injured, I will continue." Until the next World Cup, a trophy that is still missing from his list of achievements? There, the doubt persists.

On the pitch of the Allianz Arena in Munich (Germany), once his tears had been wiped away and the title celebrated, Cristiano Ronaldo was able to savor the praise of his teammates, starting with those of the new generation around him. Like Nuno Mendes, 22, the Paris Saint-Germain full-back, who lit up the Champions League final on May 31. He particularly praised the "role model [of Cristiano Ronaldo] for the youth of the national team" , saying he benefits from the advice and the thirst for victory of the insatiable CR7.

The Madeira native, who scored the equaliser against La Roja, was replaced before extra time, physically weakened, to take on the role of assistant alongside the coach, Roberto Martinez, and support his protégés: "I said that this generation deserved it, and that we were going to win the final," he said after the match, before looking ahead to the future of the Seleçao: "We knew it would be difficult against a team like Spain [the reigning European champions] , and I think we deserved [our victory] . It gives us confidence going into the World Cup."

Should this be seen as a nod to his coach, who was insisting before this success that "no one has a guaranteed place" ? It seems not, judging by his response to his possible presence in the ranks of the national team in the summer of 2026: "The World Cup? Calm down, we just won the Nations League, and the World Cup is in twelve months. It's about living every moment as if it were your last."

Scheduled for June 11 to July 19, 2026, the international tournament will take place in Mexico, Canada, and most importantly, the United States, where Cristiano Ronaldo has not set foot since the summer of 2013 and a friendly tour with Real Madrid. The reason: he has been accused of rape by former model Kathryn Mayorga, who claims he assaulted her in 2009 in a Las Vegas hotel.

A private mediation took place in 2010 and a financial settlement was reached, granting a payment of $375,000 to the plaintiff in exchange for absolute confidentiality regarding the alleged facts or the agreement, as well as the abandonment of all proceedings. But for ^Ms. Mayorga's lawyers, this agreement is "null and void," in particular because of their client's psychological state at the time.

Thus, in August 2018, a formal complaint was filed with the Nevada courts. But it was closed in July 2019 , the American justice system considering that, "on the basis of the information available," these "accusations cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt." The complaint was also dismissed without further action in civil proceedings in June 2022.