Cristiano Ronaldo sat out a second consecutive Al Nassr fixture, missing Friday’s Saudi Pro League game against Al Ittihad despite having returned to training earlier in the week. Manager Jorge Jesus left the Portuguese forward out of the matchday squad as Ronaldo continues his one-man protest.
Saudi football officials have reportedly grown impatient with the 41-year-old. They had hoped his absence for Monday’s game against Al Riyadh would be enough to make his point, and publicly urged him to return for what they saw as a higher-profile clash on Friday. The SPL warned Ronaldo ahead of the Al Ittihad match, saying the league’s image and that of the Kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund are being affected.
Al Nassr, however, won again without him, beating Al Ittihad 2-0 thanks to goals from Sadio Mané and Angelo Gabriel. The victory moved Al Nassr back to second in the table, one point behind leaders Al Hilal.
Ronaldo’s protest stems from his belief that Al Nassr are not receiving the same financial backing as title rivals Al Hilal. Both clubs are majority-owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), and Ronaldo has been frustrated that Al Hilal strengthened their squad in the January window, notably signing Karim Benzema. Benzema netted a hat-trick on his debut as Al Hilal thumped Al Akhdoud 6-0, stretching their lead over third-placed Al Nassr.
The Saudi Pro League has defended the fairness of its system, saying funding is clear and evenly applied across PIF clubs and that financial rules — managed through the Player Acquisition Center of Excellence — are in place to ensure sustainability and competitive balance. The SPL added that if Al Nassr did not recruit heavily in January, it was because the club had already spent around £100m this season.
Officials have also expressed surprise at Ronaldo’s dissatisfaction given his reported earnings of about £500,000 a day. He has roughly 18 months left on his contract, which includes a reported summer release clause of £43m (€50m).
What did the SPL say to Ronaldo?
The league issued a statement reiterating that each club operates independently under the same rules. “Clubs have their own boards, their own executives and their own football leadership,” the SPL said, adding that recruitment, spending and strategy are club decisions made within an approved financial framework. The statement noted Ronaldo has been “fully engaged with Al Nassr” since his arrival and acknowledged his competitive ambition, but stressed that no single individual determines decisions outside their own club.
The SPL concluded by highlighting the tight title race and insisting the focus should remain on football and maintaining a credible, competitive competition for players and fans.