Cristiano Ronaldo appears to have ended his strike at Al-Nassr.
The 41-year-old refused to play in Monday’s 1-0 win over Al-Riyadh after being angered by what he perceived as favouritism towards Al-Hilal by Al-Nassr’s shared owners.
Both Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal — as well as Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli — are owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
Ronaldo was understood to be unhappy at news of former Real Madrid team-mate Karim Benzema’s free transfer from Al-Ittihad to Al-Hilal on deadline day.
Al-Hilal are currently one point ahead of Al-Nassr in the race for the Saudi Pro League title — a prize Ronaldo has yet to win.
Cristiano Ronaldo professes commitment to Al-Nassr after strike
Ronaldo has now moved to reassure supporters that he remains committed to Al-Nassr after posting a social media update on Wednesday night.
The Portugal legend shared a photo of himself training with the club, accompanied by heart emojis in Al-Nassr’s colours — a gesture widely interpreted as a sign that his brief protest has come to an end.
His absence from Monday’s win over Al-Riyadh had fuelled speculation that he had refused to play following Benzema’s move to title rivals Al-Hilal and a perceived lack of transfer support for Al-Nassr during the January window.
However, the training-ground image suggests Ronaldo has put his frustrations to one side as Al-Nassr prepare for a crucial run of fixtures in the Saudi Pro League title race.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward remains under contract until June 2027 and is still chasing both a first league title in Saudi Arabia and the milestone of 1,000 career goals.
Will Cristiano Ronaldo play against Al-Ittihad on Friday?
Al-Nassr are due to face Al-Ittihad on Friday in what could be a pivotal match in the title race.
With Ronaldo now back in training, there is a strong possibility that he will return to the starting line-up after sitting out Monday’s fixture.
Al-Ittihad head into the game having just lost Benzema to Al-Hilal, while Al-Nassr know that any slip-up could allow the league leaders to extend their advantage at the top of the table.
Ronaldo has been the division’s most prolific goalscorer since arriving in Saudi Arabia and has already won the Golden Boot in each of the past two seasons, but he has yet to translate that individual success into a league title.
Victory on Friday would keep Al-Nassr firmly in contention and could help ease tensions following a turbulent week for the club.
Was Cristiano Ronaldo right to believe PIF favour Al-Hilal over Al-Nassr?
Ronaldo’s frustration stems from a belief that Al-Hilal have received more backing than their domestic rivals since Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund took control of the nation’s biggest clubs.
But is Ronaldo right about the PIF favouring Al-Hilal over Al-Nassr? Al-Hilal have spent significantly more on transfer fees than any other Saudi Pro League side over the past five years.
That financial advantage has helped Al-Hilal win multiple league titles in recent seasons, while Al-Nassr have not been champions since 2019.
Yet the picture is more complex when wages are considered. Ronaldo is the world’s highest-paid footballer and earns an estimated £3.4m per week — a figure believed to exceed the entire Al-Hilal squad’s basic salary.
Whether or not the PIF genuinely favour Al-Hilal remains open to debate, but the perception of imbalance has clearly frustrated Ronaldo at a crucial moment in the season.
For now, though, his latest social media post suggests he is ready to move on from the controversy and focus on trying to deliver the Saudi Pro League title that has so far eluded him.
