As things stand, only one of Italy or Portugal will go to Qatar for next year's World Cup.

For a country that is bankrolling football to improve it's global reputation, having no Cristiano Ronaldo will be a PR disaster will be a massive PR disaster.

Qatar own the club that already has Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar as it's poster boys. Those players have become poster boys for the World Cup too.

For a rule like that, the potential absence of CR7 will not bode well at all.