Cristiano Ronaldo stands tall among football's all-time greats, having lifted just about every major trophy the sport has to offer. The Portuguese icon's relentless hunger for success and his obsession with being the best set him apart, and his ongoing brilliance at Al Nassr is yet another testament to his jaw-dropping talent and remarkable longevity.
Even at 40 years old, Ronaldo is still defying laws of ageing. In the 2024-25 season, he's been on fire for Al Nassr, topping the Saudi Pro League scoring charts and showing no signs of slowing down.
However, while Ronaldo will be itching to add even more silverware to his legendary collection, there's one title he won't get a crack at in 2025 — the newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup, set to take place in the USA. Despite a star-studded lineup featuring heavyweights like Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Chelsea, neither Ronaldo nor Al Nassr will be part of the show.
READ MORE:Club World Cup 2025: Full list of qualified teams
Why Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr won't be playing at the Club World Cup
Even with the expanded 32-team format for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, Al Nassr won't be making the trip to the United States. Only one golden ticket was reserved for a Saudi Pro League representative — and with Al-Hilal storming to the league title last season, they were the ones handed the honour.
FIFA's strict qualification criteria heavily favoured clubs that either won their domestic leagues or clinched their continental crowns. Since Al Nassr failed to grab the Saudi Pro League title and didn't lift the AFC Champions League during the qualification window, their chances of punching a ticket were always slim.
Al-Hilal, stacked with stars like Kalidou Koulibaly and Ruben Neves, and guided by the wily Jorge Jesus, cruised to the 2023-24 title with a monstrous 14-point gap. And, incredibly, they went unbeaten along the way. Had there been a second spot up for grabs based on league position, Cristiano Ronaldo and his Al Nassr teammates would've also been packing their bags, having finished runners-up.
Looking ahead, Al Nassr faces an uphill battle to book their place for the next Club World Cup, set for 2029. Their current 2024-25 campaign has been underwhelming at best, trailing well behind Al-Ittihad despite boasting a star-studded attack. If they want to be on the world stage next time around, serious improvements will be needed.
Which teams have qualified for Club World Cup 2025? Full list of slots
Confederation | No. of teams | Teams |
|---|---|---|
AFC | 4 | Al Hilal, Urawa Red Diamonds, Al Ain, Ulsan HD |
CAF | 4 | Al Ahly, Wydad Casablanca, Esperance de Tunis, Mamelodi Sundowns |
CONCACAF | 4 | Monterrey, Seattle Sounders, TBD, Pachuca |
CONMEBOL | 6 | Palmeiras, Fluminense, Flamengo, Botafogo, River Plate, Boca Juniors |
OFC | 1 | Auckland City |
UEFA | 12 | Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, PSG, Inter, Porto, Benfica, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Red Bull Salzburg |
CONCACAF (host) | 1 | Inter Miami |