Could Cristiano Ronaldo make shock move to Chelsea for 2025 Club World Cup?

As the FIFA Club World Cup nears, speculation surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo’s future has taken center stage. The expanded 32-team tournament, set to begin in June 2025, will see top clubs from around the world battle for supremacy. With Manchester City and Chelsea representing the Premier League. Among the wildest recent rumors: Cristiano Ronaldo could make a sensational short-term move to Stamford Bridge just to feature in the tournament. With Chelsea set to compete in the expanded FIFA Club World Cup in the United States starting June 14, 2025, rumors have emerged suggesting the club might consider a short-term deal to bring in Ronaldo. The 40-year-old Portuguese icon, currently playing for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, would technically be available for a brief stint if an agreement could be made. Chelsea, drawn into Group D alongside Flamengo and ES Tunis, kick off their campaign on June 16 against the winner of Club América vs LAFC. The club is still seeking a reliable No.9, but multiple voices in the football community have cautioned against turning to Ronaldo.Former Chelsea winger Florent Malouda told Racing Tipster:“I remember when the owners took over, they were assessing the possibility of signing him. It would be more like a marketing and media coup than anything, really, in terms of sports logic.”“It would be difficult to integrate him into the team, it would put pressure on the manager… it depends if you’re looking at other metrics, or if you want to help the team in the long term, and to keep stability in the squad.”Former England and Tottenham star Chris Waddle echoed similar concerns, calling the move a potential "publicity stunt."Speaking to yaysweepstakes.com, he said:“Cristiano Ronaldo playing for Chelsea, it would be great publicity for the football club, but no. I've seen him play for Al-Nassr... 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.”“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.”Waddle emphasized that Ronaldo, who turns 40 next year, may be chasing moments and milestones, but questioned how such a move would benefit Chelsea’s long-term footballing vision.The Chelsea rumors follow other speculative stories linking Ronaldo with a brief stint at Inter Miami, where he would have teamed up with Lionel Messi for the first time. Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi is set to play in the 2025 Club World Cup with Inter Miami, his current team in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top U.S. and Canadian league..According to talkSPORT, Ronaldo was open to a short-term deal to the MLS side that would allow him to participate in the Club World Cup before returning to Al-Nassr. However, no official offer has materialized.Goal.com reported that Inter Miami were “open to making the pair teammates,” though nothing had advanced. The club, co-owned by David Beckham, has the financial leeway to potentially land the five-time Ballon d’Or-winning Portuguese icon. More recently, rumors emerged about Ronaldo joining Al-Hilal, another Saudi club and rival of Al-Nassr. But Al-Hilal’s chief executive Esteve Calzada dismissed the speculation outright, telling Goal.com:“That sounds like science fiction. Cristiano Ronaldo is not our player so it's difficult to comment on that. He's not a free agent just now, so it's not nice to talk about that.”Cristiano Ronaldo remains contracted to Al-Nassr, where he continues to score regularly in the Saudi Pro League. Despite no deal being in motion, his name continues to surface in Club World Cup-related speculation, especially as elite teams finalize their squads.Meanwhile, Chelsea, managed by Enzo Maresca, returns to action Thursday in the UEFA Europa Conference League semi-final second leg against Djurgarden, holding a commanding 4-1 lead from the first leg. Whether or not a global star like Ronaldo is part of their Club World Cup journey remains to be seen — but footballing veterans are already urging caution.