Cristiano Ronaldo has been left out of Al-Nassr’s squad for their clash with Al-Ittihad on Friday night. The Portuguese legend’s relationship with the Saudi Pro League appears to be in ruins, with the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star reportedly threatening to quit and leave after the Public Investment Fund facilitated a transfer for Karim Benzema from Al-Ittihad to Al-Hilal, the latter of whom are Al-Nassr’s direct rivals for the league title this season.
Ronaldo left out of Al-Nassr squad again
Ronaldo has been left out of Al-Nassr’s squad to face Al-Ittihad, with the Saudi club officially confirming his absence as they posted their lineup for the clash on Friday night. While the five-time Ballon d’Or winner won’t feature, there are starts for the likes of Marcelo Brozovic, Kingsley Coman, Sadio Mane and Joao Felix, with Al-Nassr still boasting ample firepower in attack without their talisman.
The 41-year-old was also missing from the Al-Nassr squad that faced Al-Riyadh earlier this week, though they still managed to secure all three points thanks to Mane’s strike in the 40th minute.
CR7 warned over conduct after going on strike
Ronaldo appears to feel that PIF has favoured other clubs in the Saudi Pro League title race. CR7 is yet to win the trophy himself since his move in 2023 and feels the decision to allow Benzema to swap Al-Ittihad for Al-Hilal shows a lack of support for him.
A statement from the Saudi Pro League read: “The Saudi Pro League is structured around a simple principle: every club operates independently under the same rules.
“Clubs have their own boards, their own executives and their own football leadership. Decisions on recruitment, spending and strategy sit with those clubs, within a financial framework designed to ensure sustainability and competitive balance. That framework applies equally across the league.
“Cristiano has been fully engaged with Al-Nassr since his arrival and has played an important role in the club’s growth and ambition. Like any elite competitor, he wants to win. But no individual – however significant – determines decisions beyond their own club.
“Recent transfer activity demonstrates that independence clearly. One club strengthened in a particular way. Another chose a different approach. Those were club decisions, taken within approved financial parameters.
“The competitiveness of the league speaks for itself. With only a few points separating the top four, the title race is very much alive. That level of balance reflects a system that is working as intended.
“The focus remains on football — on the pitch, where it belongs — and on maintaining a credible, competitive competition for players and fans.”
Ronaldo’s future up in the air after threatening summer exit
Where this latest squad omission leaves Ronaldo is unclear. The Euro 2016 winner is said to have threatened a summer departure after being ‘betrayed’, though he has been spotted in training in recent days despite falling out with league officials.
Ronaldo is famously chasing 1,000 career goals, but this disagreement means he is losing valuable time in that pursuit. His most recent strike came on Friday 30 January when he opened the scoring in a 3-0 victory over Al-Kholood, which took him up to 961 efforts.
Former Premier League midfielder Stefan Schwarz hasn’t been impressed by his recent behaviour, saying: “He is a tremendous professional. What he has done for football, it’s just insane with all the numbers, all the records he’s broken. He shows other players how to be a real pro with his approach to training, recovery, nutrition and his focus.
“But he is like any player with a contract. He has to perform. I don’t think anyone should say that they must be the most appreciated player. It all depends on your performance and while he has shown he deserves all the respect, his actions are strange to me.”
Al-Nassr hoping for win to boost title hopes
Benzema scored a hat-trick on his debut for Al-Hilal on Thursday, helping his side to a 6-0 win that took them three points clear at the top of the table. However, Al-Nassr can go level with their rivals with victory on Friday, albeit having played a game more.
