Cristiano Ronaldo was once again absent from the Al-Nassr squad for their match against Al-Ittihad, as fresh controversy surrounds his time in Saudi Arabia. The 41-year-old went on strike due to frustration with the Saudi Arabian Private Investment Fund (PIF) and the lack of transfer activity at his club.
Ronaldo sat out of Al-Nassr's 1-0 win over Al-Riyadh and was notably missing from their clash with the 2024/25 Saudi Pro League champions, Al-Ittihad. His anger is believed to have increased after former teammate Karim Benzema moved from Al-Ittihad to rivals Al-Hilal, scoring a hat-trick on his debut and bolstering their title challenge.
Reports suggest Ronaldo is disgruntled by the running of his club by PIF, with Benzema's cross-league move being a principal reason for his frustration. Al-Nassr made only two signings in the transfer window: Abdullah Al-Hamdan from Al-Hilal and Haydeer Abdulkareem from Al-Zawraa.
The Saudi Pro League issued a statement addressing Ronaldo's behaviour, warning that 'no individual, however significant' can determine decisions beyond their club. A spokesperson said: 'Cristiano has been fully engaged with Al-Nassr since his arrival... But no individual - however significant - determines decisions beyond their own club.'
Ronaldo posted himself back in training on Wednesday but will continue preparations away from the first-team set-up. Al-Nassr face a busy period, including an AFC Champions League tie against Arkadag.
