Sport
Cristiano Ronaldo Turns Down Club World Cup Offer to Focus on Al-Nassr
Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly turned down an offer from River Plate head coach Marcelo Gallardo to join the Argentine side for the upcoming 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Gallardo revealed that he personally reached out to Ronaldo through a mutual friend to explore the possibility of having the Portuguese star feature for River Plate in the tournament.
The two have a bit of history—Gallardo previously managed Ronaldo during a 2023 friendly in Saudi Arabia when he coached a Riyadh All-Stars team in a match against Paris Saint-Germain. Speaking ahead of River Plate’s clash with Monterrey, Gallardo told ESPN that their conversation earlier this year was casual but meaningful.
“In March, we spoke informally,” he said. “I asked if he would be interested in playing the Club World Cup. A player like him, who defined an era—it made sense to ask.” Gallardo added that Ronaldo appreciated the gesture and gave it serious thought but ultimately turned it down. The reason? He wanted to focus fully on getting ready for the new season with Al-Nassr.
Despite the rejection, Gallardo praised Ronaldo’s professionalism and character, saying they’ve kept a respectful relationship since their brief time working together. While fans won’t get to see Ronaldo in a River Plate shirt, the story shows the kind of admiration he still commands globally—even from clubs outside Europe.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has spoken about his team’s performance after the Gunners suffered a 3-0 defeat to Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta speaks on the aftermath of the match and shares his analysis of the team and how they lost 3-0 to Brighton.
Speaking on the match, he shared: “I am really disappointed. In the first 20 or 30 minutes, the number of technical errors put us constantly under pressure. It was all related to the start.”
It can be noted that the team had been having a winning streak so far but fell at this match against Brighton.
Arsenal had won their opening four Premier League matches before the defeat, with the loss ending their perfect start to the season.
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has spoken on the controversial offside goal in Manchester City’s recent derby win over Manchester United and shared how Manchester United had actually benefited from a similar decision in the past.
He recalled that three years ago, Manchester United won a derby game against Manchester City with a goal that was allowed to stand despite an offside decision.
“Three years ago, we lost the Derby at Old Trafford with a goal that had to be disallowed. No one apologised. We are still waiting for the apology, Sometimes it happens for you, sometimes against you. It’s football.”
The comments came after Manchester City’s 1–0 win over Manchester United, in which Erling Haaland’s goal was initially ruled offside before VAR overturned the decision. The refereeing body later acknowledged that the decision was incorrect.
UEFA has announced the venues that will host the major European club finals in 2028 and 2029.
The 2028 Europa League final will take place at the National Arena in Bucharest, Romania, while Belgrade’s National Stadium in Serbia will host the 2029 final.
For the Europa Conference League, Juventus Stadium in Turin, Italy, will stage the 2028 final, with the 2029 edition set to take place at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary.
The Johan Cruyff ArenA in Amsterdam will host the 2027 UEFA Super Cup, followed by the Astana Arena in Astana, Kazakhstan, for the 2028 edition.
Meanwhile, the 2028 Champions League final will be played at the Munich Football Arena in Munich, Germany, while Barcelona’s Camp Nou will host the 2029 final.
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