Talk of a Cristiano Ronaldo transfer that could see him reunited with Lionel Messi at the Club World Cup remains "science fiction", claims Al-Hilal.
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CR7 into final year of Al-Nassr contractLinked with a switch across RiyadhAl-Hilal also said to be keen on SalahFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi will be gracing that competition next summer with MLS outfit Inter Miami – on the back of their Supporters’ Shield triumph in 2024. Al-Hilal, who have been drawn in the same group as Real Madrid, will be the Saudi Pro League representatives – as winners of the 2021 AFC Champions League.
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It has been suggested that Portuguese superstar Ronaldo could be on their books by the time that a global tournament takes place in the United States, with the all-time great seeing his contract at Al-Nassr run down. A surprising move across Riyadh has been speculated on.
WHAT AL-HILAL CHIEF EXECUTIVE SAID
Such a switch could give Ronaldo an opportunity to face Messi again – following their epic battles while on the books of Real and Barcelona – but Al-Hilal chief executive Esteve Calzada has responded to those rumours by saying: "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."
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Ronaldo is not the only household name to have been linked with Al-Hilal – who already have the likes of Neymar, Ruben Neves, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Joao Cancelo and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic in their squad. Calzada added on reports of interest being shown in Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah, who is due to become a free agent in 2025: "We are not commenting on rumours. There are many players associated with us, and we have a policy of not commenting. This is not the time to talk about players."