Al Hilal CEO reveals reason for rejecting Cristiano Ronaldo for Club World Cup

Esteve Calzada, Al Hilal CEO, revealed the reason for rejecting Portuguese megastar Cristiano Ronaldo — this decision is related to the player’s presence at Al Nassr ahead of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

Speculation about this transfer emerged after FIFA opened opportunities for participating teams in the 2025 Club World Cup to bring in new players. FIFA President Gianni Infantino even mentioned the possibility of 40-year-old players participating in the tournament.

The discourse about Ronaldo’s loan from Al Nassr to Al Hilal gained momentum — considering both clubs are under Public Investment Funds (PIF) ownership. However, the transfer plan for the player nicknamed CR7 ultimately did not materialize.