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Former Premier League star Chris Waddle has warned Chelsea against signing Cristiano Ronaldo for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Waddle opined that the 40-year-old would struggle to cope with the intensity of the tournament, and a move for him would only be a publicity stunt.
The Blues are one of the 32 clubs that will compete in the rebranded FIFA Club World Cup, set to kick off in the United States in the summer. Ronaldo, meanwhile, is nearing the end of his contract with Al-Nassr and could become a free agent in the summer if he fails to pen a new deal.
Amid uncertainty about his future, the Portuguese icon has been linked with a surprise return to England to sign for a team playing in the Club World Cup. Chelsea and Manchester City are the Premier League's representatives at the tournament, leading to rumors that Ronaldo could join either side in the summer.
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Reacting to the rumors of Ronaldo joining Chelsea for the Club World Cup, Chris Waddle told yaysweepstakes.com (via GOAL):
"Cristiano Ronaldo playing for Chelsea, it would be great publicity for the football club, but no. I've seen him play for Al-Nassr, watched him play with Jhon Duran up front. He doesn't really run around a lot. We know he's got ability when he gets the ball to his feet, but this tournament would be a lot harder than what he's playing week in, week out in Saudi Arabia."
He added:
"Let him rest there and have his holiday. He'll go again next season. But I think it would be all sort of a publicity stunt. Of course, he wants to play in some tournament where it's another goal, another tick. But listen, if it means resting players for the Premier League, then I'm all for it, but it’d seem like a gimmick to me."
Chelsea are in Group D of the FIFA Club World Cup alongside Flamengo, Esperance de Tunis, and one of Club América and Los Angeles FC.
Cristiano Ronaldo fires a blank as Al-Nassr drop vital points in title race
Cristiano Ronaldo failed to get on the scoresheet as Al-Nassr fell to a 3-2 defeat to rivals Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League on Wednesday (May 7). The Knights of Najd threw away a first-half two-goal lead that put a dent in their league title challenge.
Sadio Mane (3') and Ayman Yahya (37') gave Al-Nassr a comfortable lead heading into the break at the Al-Awwal Park. However, the Ronaldo-led side took their foot off the pedal in the second half, as Al-Ittihad sealed a comeback through goals from Karim Benzema (49'), Ngolo Kante (52'), and Houssem Aouar (90+4').
Ronaldo played the entire minutes of the clash but had a poor game by his standards. He managed just one shot on target from six attempts and created only one chance.
Al-Nassr now trail leaders Al-Ittihad by 11 points, with four games to go. They have 60 points from 30 matches, and another trophyless season for Cristiano Ronaldo seems inevitable.
