What’s going on with Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr? Examining claims that star refused to play Saudi Pro League game vs. Al Riyadh
Since signing for Saudi side Al Nassr in early 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo has been a champion of football growth in the Middle East.
The Portugal international has made a global push for the sport’s massive investment across the region, and specifically in Saudi Arabia, who have poured money into football’s explosion both on a club and international level.
However, there could be some trouble in paradise brewing, as there are reports that Ronaldo is unhappy with recent events at his current home.
The Sporting News explains the speculation behind why Ronaldo is absent from Monday’s match against Al Riyadh, what could be the issue, and how it may affect his short-term and long-term prospects at Al Nassr.
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Why is Cristiano Ronaldo missing Al Nassr match vs. Al Riyadh?
Officially, Al Nassr claimed that Ronaldo will be unavailable for the February 2 match against Al Riyadh due to load management. The Portugal superstar has played nearly every single minute of the league season, starting every match and racking up 1,602 of a maximum 1,620 possible minutes through 19 matches.
However, that may not be the full and complete story.
According to a report from Portuguese outlet A Bola, Ronaldo sat out the match in protest against the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), the sovereign wealth fund that owns controlling stakes in four of the biggest clubs in the country. The suggestion is Ronaldo is unhappy that PIF does not sanction as much spending at Al Nassr as they do at other clubs under the umbrella, including Al Hilal.
The news comes on the heels of reports that Karim Benzema is unhappy at his club, Al Ittihad, another PIF-funded side. Reports claim that because PIF want to keep the French striker in Saudi Arabia, they have arranged for him to transfer to Al Hilal.
MORE: A closer look at the eye-watering salary Cristiano Ronaldo makes at Al Nassr
Saudi clubs owned by PIF
The Saudi Public Investment Fund has made significant investment into global football and is at the heart of the huge sums being spent in the country’s own league in recent years.
PIF acquired a 75 percent stake in four Saudi Pro League clubs: Al Hilal, Al Nassr, Al Ittihad, and Al Ahli.
Since being brought under this ownership umbrella, these four clubs have been by far the most active in the global transfer market, and the most heavily invested-in sides in the country.
Al Nassr, for its part, saw the arrival of Ronaldo’s international teammate Joao Felix from Chelsea back in the summer, as well as a deal for Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman and a swoop for free agent Inigo Martinez, formerly of Barcelona.
PIF also recently invested in Premier League club Newcastle United, acquiring a stake of around 80 percent in the Tyneside club back in October of 2021 as part of a consortium.
Could Cristiano Ronaldo leave Al Nassr?
At this point it must be considered unlikely that Ronaldo would leave Al Nassr.
The 40-year-old signed a new contract with the club just last summer that reportedly extended his stay in Riyadh for another two years.
That contract is said to earn him an outrageous $211 million per year (€180m / £153.5m), an astonishing sum that he would struggle to find matched anywhere else in the world.
Still, Ronaldo seems to be doing his best to assert what power he has in Saudi Arabia, despite not having the ability to threaten to leave the club and the league.
If he is not placated, he could push for a longer absence from the team. After their league game against Al Riyadh, Al Nassr face a massive meeting with defending champions Al Ittihad on Friday before a visit to Turkmenistan for an AFC Champions League Two match against FK Arkadag. Ronaldo has typically been rested for continental matches on the road, so the Al Ittihad game will be the major litmus test for if his feelings of animosity have subsided.
