Why Cristiano Ronaldo Wasn’t Playing For Al Nassr Despite Ending Strike?

The highest-paid footballer in the world has brought his boycott to an end.

Cristiano Ronaldo has chosen to miss Al Nassr’s previous three games. | Waleed Zein/Anadolu/Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Manchester United mutiny and subsequent move to Al Nassr represented a watershed moment for the football transfer market.

The Saudi Pro League hasn’t yet captured hearts and minds around the world, but the emergence of Public Investment Fund (PIF) ownership has seen plenty of household names ditch their relatively tame European salaries for a pay packet drastically more substantial in the Gulf region.

41-year-old Ronaldo has taken home a meagre £175 million ($240 million) annually since arriving in December 2022, all while scoring 111 goals in 127 games. Excluding the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup, glory has eluded him, but Ronaldo’s side entered the new year with a great shot at ending their seven-year wait for the Saudi Pro League title.

However, a disappointing January, during which Ronaldo’s side were beaten by title rivals Al Hilal and Al Ahli, irked the all-time great. Marquee signings were regarded as a necessity, but the transfer window merely returned Saudi Arabian Abdullah Al-Hamdan and Iraqi Haydeer Abdulkareem.

For Ronaldo, this wasn’t enough and he opted to manifest his discontent by going on strike.

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Why Cristiano Ronaldo Wasn’t Playing For Al Nassr vs. Arkadag

Ronaldo kicked up a fuss after Karim Benzema joined Al Hilal. | WUN SUEN/AFP/Getty Images

The Portuguese forward opted out of Al Nassr’s two league games at the start of February against Al Riyadh and Al Ittihad, both of which were won by the Ronaldo-less title hopefuls. Sadio Mané, who replaced the 41-year-old up top, scored in the pair of wins.

Ronaldo also didn’t play in the first leg of Al Nassr’s round of 16 tie against FK Arkadag in the AFC Champions League Two on Wednesday evening, thus avoiding a 3,700-mile round trip to Turkmenistan. Given that his strike was called off before this fixture, reports suggest that Ronaldo is being preserved for their next domestic encounter. The Independent claimed that Ronaldo was back in Riyadh training.

Ronaldo’s boycott was ultimately triggered by Al Hilal’s move late in the window for Al Ittihad striker Karim Benzema. The Frenchman inspired Al Ittihad to the title last season, and he represents a great threat to Ronaldo’s Saudi dream in 2026.

Al Hilal are currently leading Al Nassr by a point at the top of the Saudi Pro League, and Ronaldo watched through gritted teeth with both fists clenched as Benzema netted a hat-trick on debut.

The 41-year-old ultimately hasn’t been happy with the supposed contrasting levels of ambition displayed by the four PIF-owned clubs. Al Nassr are in a position to win the league title, yet it was the top-flight leaders, Al Hilal, who were the most aggressive in January. They’ve spent the most in the Saudi Pro League since Ronaldo joined (approximately €650 million), but Al Nassr have splurged €414 million, all while paying a world-record salary.

And while many, including Ronaldo, potentially, believe PIF have unlimited resources to spend on whomever they fancy attracting to the Gulf region, their spending still has to be relatively sensible, given the array of projects they’ve already committed to over the next decade, concluding with the FIFA World Cup in 2034.

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When Is Cristiano Ronaldo’s Strike Coming To An End?

Ronaldo has decided to end his strike. | Mohammed Saad/Anadolu/Getty Images

Don’t panic, folks. Ronaldo will be back in action in short order.

The 41-year-old returned to training earlier in the week and could’ve played on Wednesday. However, his comeback appearance will instead arrive against Al Fateh on Saturday, Feb. 14.

Given the backlash Ronaldo received for refusing to play, with the Saudi Pro League condemning his perceived entitlement, reports, especially back home in Portugal, have shifted away from the player’s questioning of PIF’s ambition and sulking over recruitment strategy.

Instead, Ronaldo’s “main demands” that have since been met by Al Nassr’s majority owners have been dressed up as the payment of overdue salaries and restoration of Simão Coutinho (sporting director) and José Semedo (CEO) into their respective positions of authority.

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