Cristiano Ronaldo has missed two consecutive matches for Al Nassr, and sources state that his next destination is "totally unpredictable".
Ronaldo was left out of the matchday squad for Friday’s clash against Al-Ittihad, marking his second consecutive absence from Al Nassr’s games. The 41-year-old star was excluded from the team’s squad for Monday’s match due to disputes with the club over management and operations. Al Nassr, along with Al-Ittihad, Al Hilal and Al-Ahli, is majority-owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), which holds a 75% stake in each of these clubs.
However, on Friday, the Saudi Pro League (SPL) official stated to the forward that "no one, regardless of personal influence, has the right to make decisions beyond the scope of their affiliated club", and that each club operates "independently".
Ronaldo is deeply disappointed that Al Nassr failed to strengthen the squad during the winter transfer window. The club signed Saudi international Abdullah Hamdan from Al Hilal and Iraqi midfielder Hayder Abdul-Karim from Al-Zawraa Sports Club in the winter window. Meanwhile, Karim Benzema, Ronaldo’s former Real Madrid teammate, left Al-Ittihad to join Al Hilal.
Al Nassr currently sit third in the Saudi Pro League table, just four points behind league leaders Al Hilal. Ronaldo believes that there is a disparity in ambition among the clubs owned by the PIF, and that his team has not matched the investment in new signings of other clubs under the fund.
An anonymous source at Al Nassr said that Ronaldo’s next destination is "totally unpredictable".
Sources with knowledge of the matter added that Ronaldo’s discontent stems not only from Benzema’s transfer, but also from his belief that the club has not received adequate support in terms of operations and finances. The 41-year-old star also hopes that all clubs will be treated equally, so as to safeguard the fairness and competitiveness of the Saudi Pro League as a competition.
At the end of December 2022, Ronaldo joined Al Nassr after leaving Manchester United, and signed a new two-year contract with the club in 2025 with an annual salary of £175 million (approximately $240 million), which includes a £44 million release clause.
To date, Ronaldo has made 127 appearances and scored 111 goals for Al Nassr, but he has not yet helped the team win the Saudi Pro League title or the AFC Champions League title.
