Overview

• Al-Hilal chief executive Esteve Calzada described signing Ronaldo as “completely counter-intuitive” given his status as Al-Nassr’s marquee player.
• FIFA president Gianni Infantino publicly appealed for clubs to sign Ronaldo for the Club World Cup during an interview with YouTuber iShowSpeed.
• Al-Hilal cited Ronaldo’s age and the temporary nature of a three- to four-week deal as reasons to forgo negotiations.
• Ronaldo decided against a Club World Cup switch and is expected to sign a contract extension with Al-Nassr.
• The Saudi rivals have secured Simone Inzaghi as Al-Hilal’s coach and intend to pursue further reinforcements in the upcoming transfer window.