Portugal captain, Cristiano Ronaldo rejected an offer from River Plate head coach, Marcelo Gallardo for him to play at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup with his team.
According to Gallardo, he reached out to Ronaldo regarding the possibility of playing for the Argentine club at the Club World Cup.
But the Al-Nassar forward rejected the offer as he wanted to prepare for next season.
Gallardo had previously coached Ronaldo when he took charge of a Riyadh All-Stars team for a friendly match against Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.
Speaking to ESPN ahead of River Plate’s tie with Monterrey this weekend, Gallardo said (via Flashscore): “I was lucky enough to coach him in a match I was invited to in Saudi Arabia.
“I met him not only as a great professional, but also as an excellent person and we maintained a relationship.
“However, around March we had informal contact through a mutual friend. I said to him: ‘There’s a Club World Cup and a player like you, who has marked an era… Do you intend to play?’
“He not only felt recognized, but he thought about it and was evaluating it. Then he told us that he had to prepare for the following season.”
