Cristiano Ronaldo was omitted from Al-Nassr’s matchday squad for a second straight game, sparking fresh uncertainty about his future with the Saudi club.
Al-Nassr secured a 2–0 victory over Al-Ittihad in Friday’s Saudi Pro League clash, with late strikes from former Liverpool star Sadio Mane and Angelo Gabriel sealing the win.
During the seventh minute, sections of the home crowd showed their support for Ronaldo by holding up yellow placards displaying his name and iconic number seven.
The 41-year-old forward had also been absent from the squad that edged Al-Riyadh 1–0 earlier in the week.
Portuguese newspaper reported that Ronaldo declined to feature, allegedly due to frustration with the club’s management under Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). In response, the Saudi Pro League stated that while Ronaldo has been influential in boosting the club’s profile and ambitions, no single player is bigger than the club’s decision-making structure.
Ronaldo moved to Al-Nassr in December 2022 after parting ways with Manchester United, becoming the highest-paid footballer ever with a reported yearly salary of £177m. The club – 10-time Saudi Pro League champions – described his arrival as a landmark moment, though his only trophy with them so far has been the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup. He went on to extend his stay by signing a fresh two-year deal in June 2025.
Both Al-Nassr and rivals Al-Hilal –the most decorated side in Saudi league history with 19 titles are owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), which also supports Newcastle United.
The 38-year-old French striker made an immediate impact, netting a hat-trick on his debut in Al-Hilal’s 6–0 thrashing of Al-Okhdood on Thursday. After 20 matches this season, Al-Nassr sit second in the table, just one point behind Al-Hilal.
