Cristiano Ronaldo misses second Al Nassr match in protest against PIF
Cristiano Ronaldo has now missed a second consecutive Al Nassr match as his protest against Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund enters its second week, with officials signaling they may be prepared to part ways with the club’s highest-paid player.
The Portuguese forward was absent from Al Nassr’s 2–0 victory over Al Ittihad on February 6 at Al-Awwal Park, having already sat out the February 2 match against Al Riyadh. According to ESPN sources, Ronaldo is boycotting matches after failing to receive assurances that the Saudi Public Investment Fund would introduce changes to Al Nassr’s management structure.
Ronaldo’s frustration is focused on his belief that the PIF, which holds a 75 percent stake in Al Nassr, Al Hilal, Al Ahli and Al Ittihad, favors rival clubs. Tensions reportedly peaked during the winter transfer window, when Al Hilal completed the signing of his former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema from Al Ittihad, while Al Nassr made only limited reinforcements.
The Saudi Pro League issued a firm response on Thursday, warning that no individual, regardless of stature, determines decisions beyond their own club. Sources within Al Nassr told The Athletic that predicting Ronaldo’s future had become entirely impossible.
Despite his absence, Al Nassr supporters showed solidarity by holding up yellow placards bearing Ronaldo’s name and his number seven during the seventh minute of Friday’s match.
With the standoff showing little sign of resolution, Saudi officials appear to be preparing contingency plans. The i Paper reported that the league is willing to allow Ronaldo to leave this summer through his 50 million euro release clause. Mohamed Salah of Liverpool and Bruno Fernandes have emerged as leading candidates to fill the potential void.
A Saudi source told The i Paper that both players would be ideal replacements, adding that Salah in particular would attract an Arab audience and that the arrival of either star would offset Ronaldo’s departure.
The dispute has been further complicated by formal complaints from Al Hilal and Al Ittihad over Al Nassr’s signing of striker Abdullah Al-Hamdan. The Saudi international unilaterally terminated his contract with Al Hilal by email just six days before its expiration, prompting his former club to file a complaint with the Saudi Football Federation alleging a breach of regulations.
Al Ittihad later lodged its own challenge questioning the legality of Al-Hamdan’s participation after he came on as a substitute against them on Friday. Al Nassr insists the signing is valid, citing approvals from the Professionalism Committee and the Professional League Association.
Ronaldo, who signed a contract extension last summer keeping him at Al Nassr until 2027, has reportedly informed club officials that he is prepared to leave Saudi Arabia entirely if the dispute is not resolved.
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