In the end, not even Saudi Arabia or Gianni Infantino could engineer a way to get Cristiano Ronaldo to the Club World Cup. FIFA president Infantino certainly tried - last month making a public appeal ahead of the tournament.

Like what we have seen in the last two editions of the Gold Cup, a representative from Asia has been invited to play in the tournament. Previously, Qatar has been in the invitee. This time around, Saudi Arabia, the eventual hosts of the 2034 FIFA World Cup, enters the tournament.