Why Cristiano Ronaldo Is ‘on Strike’ and What It Means for the Saudi Pro League

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner sat out against Al-Riyadh.

Cristiano Ronaldo is making a statement against the PIF. | Thomas Tang/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo, the face of the Saudi Pro League, did not feature in Al Nassr’s clash with Al Riyadh in protest against the club’s owners, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), a report has claimed.

The 40-year-old, who is thought to get paid £488,000 ($666,300) a day to play for Al Nassr, was not in Jorge Jesus’s squad for Monday’s clash. Local reports originally claimed an injury was keeping Ronaldo sidelined, but Fabrizio Romano revealed the Portugal international’s absence is not due to “any physical issue nor to workload or fitness management.”

The bombshell was soon corroborated by multiple other outlets in the build-up to the match, signaling a much larger issue keeping Ronaldo off the pitch, one that could have massive consequences for the Saudi Pro League.

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Why Ronaldo Is Refusing to Play for Al Nassr vs. Al Riyadh

Cristiano Ronaldo sat out of Al Nassr’s match on Monday. | Fayez Nureldine/AFP/Getty Images

According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Ronaldo is “unhappy” with how the PIF is managing Al Nassr compared to the treatment given to rival clubs Al Hilal, Al Ittihad and Al Ahli, which are owned by the same fund.

The Real Madrid legend is said to be “unsatisfied” with the investment—or lack thereof—at Al Nassr amid their push to snatch the Saudi Pro League crown from Al Ittihad. The club is currently three points off league-leaders Al Hilal and were reportedly looking for reinforcements during the January transfer window, ones that seemingly never came.

The only new signing acquired by Al Nassr this winter was 21-year-old midfielder Hayder Abdulkareem from Iraq. In comparison, Al Hilal alone have signed former Arsenal defender Pablo Mari from Fiorentina for £1.7 million, Rennes striker Mohamed Kader Meïté for £26 million and are also nearing a similar sized move for Neom attacking midfielder Saïmon Bouabré.

There has also been recent speculation that Ronaldo’s former teammate and Al Ittihad talisman Karim Benzema, whose contract expires at the end of this season, would soon join Simone Inzaghi’s side.

The wealth of new signings will only boost Al Hilal’s chances at winning the Pro League in 2025–26, a feat Ronaldo has yet to achieve since making the move to Saudi Arabia in Dec. 2022. The forward has made 133 appearances for Al Nassr since, scoring 117 goals along the way, but is still in the hunt for his first major trophy in a yellow shirt.

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Significant Fallout Could Come From Ronaldo’s Strike

It is unknown if Cristiano Ronaldo will play against Al-Ittihad. | Mohammed Saad/Anadolu/Getty Images

A fully fit Ronaldo refusing to play a league match amid his team’s fight for first place is not a good look for anyone, including the Saudi Pro League as a whole. It is no secret the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is the face of the league, one who makes a historic amount of money to represent Al Nassr.

Such a bold statement from a player of Ronaldo’s stature makes waves not just throughout Saudi Arabia, but Europe as a whole. If the main attraction of the Saudi top-flight is on strike, the monetary repercussions could hit both the club and the league hard, especially if attendance begins to falter or other big stars join in the boycott.

The optics, though, might be more worrisome for the PIF, a fund worth a reported $1.15 trillion. Al Nassr manager Jesus hinted at a potential war raging behind the scenes last month when he said his club “doesn’t have the political power of Al Hilal.” His statement now combined with Ronaldo’s strike are forcing the PIF and the world to hear their concerns.

Only time will tell how—or if—the owners respond, but all eyes will be on Ronaldo come Friday, when Al Nassr welcome the defending champions Al Ittihad to Al-Awwal Park in what could be a title-turning battle. The hosts will hope to have their captain leading the way, but an extension of his strike could leave Jesus’s men without their leading goalscorer for the all-important clash.

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