FIFA President Gianni Infantino made a surprise appearance on a livestream by internet personality and football fan iShowSpeed on Friday night, creating buzz around the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup.
Gianni Infantino makes appearance in iShowSpeed stream
The stream, which quickly spread across social media platforms, featured Infantino personally handing Speed the official match ball for the tournament.
In a light-hearted yet promotional moment, Infantino confirmed that Speed will perform the ceremonial first kick at the opening match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
The moment was meant to highlight FIFA’s efforts to engage with younger fans through digital and interactive media platforms.
However, the stream took a more unexpected turn when Infantino mentioned a potential appearance by one of the sport’s biggest names.
“Cristiano Ronaldo could play in the 2025 Club World Cup next month,” Infantino told the streamer, referring to discussions currently underway with clubs that might still want to bring the 40-year-old Portuguese forward into the tournament.
When Speed asked for more details, Infantino responded, “There are discussions with some clubs, so if any club is watching and is interested in hiring Ronaldo for the Club World Cup… who knows, who knows.”
Despite the upbeat tone, representatives for Ronaldo later told The Athletic that they were displeased with Infantino’s speculative remarks about the player’s future.
Currently, Ronaldo’s Saudi club, Al-Nassr, has not qualified for the tournament, meaning he is not expected to feature unless picked up by another team. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami is confirmed to participate, qualifying through their 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield win.
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is set to be the largest in the tournament’s history.
With 32 teams divided into eight groups of four, the top two teams from each group will advance to the round of 16. The tournament runs from 17 June to 11 July 2025 in the United States.
South African club Mamelodi Sundowns will represent the continent in Group G. They are set to compete against Fluminense of Brazil, Germany’s Borussia Dortmund, and South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai FC.
This group stage offers a mix of strong offensive play, strategic discipline, and competitive European football – making Sundowns’ path to the knockout round particularly challenging.