Inter president Beppe Marotta later suggested that Calhanoglu was the player Lautaro was referring to, as Calhanoglu is wanted by Galatasaray. However, Calhanoglu insists that he wanted to be part of Inter's Club World Cup campaign.
Calhanoglu suffered an injury in the Champions League final and was unable to play. Despite this, he decided to join the team in the United States for the Club World Cup. He wanted to be close to his teammates and give them his support, even if he couldn't play.
Unfortunately, Calhanoglu suffered another injury during a training session in the USA. He was diagnosed with a torn muscle and was unable to play in the competition.
Calhanoglu has denied any background or reason for not wanting to play in the Club World Cup. He said that he was sad about the team's loss and wanted to show his support to his teammates, even after the final whistle.