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FourFourTwo
Sport
Matthew Holt

Cristiano Ronaldo returns to Madrid, amid ongoing Middle East conflict

Al-Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

Cristiano Ronaldo's private jet has flown from Madrid to Saudi Arabia amid rising unrest in the Middle East.

Flight information showed the 41-year-old's aircraft departed from Saudi Arabia to the Spanish capital at 1am on Monday morning. It is unknown at this time whether the Portugal international was on the flight.

Al-Nassr have a fixture scheduled against Neom on Saturday evening at 19:00 GMT, but it remains to be seen whether top-flight football continues in the country.

What we know so far about Cristiano Ronaldo's jet departing for Madrid

Euronews reported that the former Manchester United man was indeed on the flight that departed Saudi Arabia earlier this week, although that information is yet to be fully confirmed.

The public in the country have been evacuating the region as Iran continues to launch strikes on neighbouring countries amid ongoing conflict.

Cristiano Ronaldo has played in Saudi Arabia since 2023 (Image credit: Getty Images)

Ronaldo's jet has an estimated value of £61 million and is often used to charter the global superstar and his family between his homes across the globe.

Flightradar24 reported the plane's westward journey over Egypt and the Mediterranean before safely landing in Spain.

Ronaldo has lived in Riyadh since departing Old Trafford in December 2022 and his son plays youth football for Al-Nassr's teams.

The veteran forward is currently sidelined due to an injury he sustained in Al Nassr's 3-1 victory over Al Fahya on Saturday, he isn't expected to feature in Saturday's match with Neom.

Cristiano Ronaldo in action for Al-Nassr against Al-Fayha in February 2024 (Image credit: Getty Images)

Iran has launched attacks on Middle Eastern countries in recent days, with the nation's Ministry of Defence confirming on Tuesday that the US embassy in Riyadh had been targeted by two drones. The assault ended "in a limited fire and minor material damage to the building".

This followed Iran's strike on Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura refinery, the globe's largest oil refinery, triggering an upward surge in international oil prices.

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