Cristiano Ronaldo was absent from Al-Nassr’s matchday squad to face local rivals Al-Riyadh on Monday, amid reports that the Portuguese icon had gone ‘on strike’.
Ronaldo, who has scored 18 goals in 22 games across all competitions for the Saudi Pro League side this season, is the highest-paid player in the history of the game and trousers a reported £488,000 per day.
But despite this eye-watering pay packet, the 40-year-old is said to be unhappy with the management of the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Ronaldo sits out Al-Nassr clash
Prior to the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star sitting out his side’s local derby on Monday, Portuguese outlet A Bola reported that Ronaldo is not impressed with PIF’s handling of Al-Nassr’s finances, with the subject of his ire being how they are treating rival teams.
Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr are one of four sides - the others being Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal - in which PIF control a 75 per cent stake, with the fund using its financial firepower to bring some of the world’s biggest names to the Saudi Pro League.
The likes of Karim Benzema, Riyad Mahrez and Kalidou Koulibaly all followed Ronaldo to fellow PIF-backed sides and the Portuguese’s beef appears to be centred around the fact that he believes Al-Nassr have not been backed equally in the transfer market.
Ronaldo has failed to win any domestic honours since joining Al-Nassr at the end of 2022, with his sole medal coming in the Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023.
His frustrations appear to have come to a head during a January transfer window in which Al-Nassr have made just one signing in 21-year-old Iraqi midfielder Haydeer Abdulkareem, while rivals Al-Hilal have snapped up £26 m Rennes forward Kader Meite and Spanish defender Pablo Mari, while they are eyeing a £26 m move for Neon star Saimon Bouabre.
Al-Nassr boss Jorge Jesus last month weighed in that his ‘current side does not have the political power of Al-Hilal', a team he used to manage.
That claim enraged Al-Hilal, who subsequently asked the Saudi Pro League to suspend him for six to 12 months.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, has made no secret of his desire to reach 1,000 career goals, last month saying: “My passion is high and I want to continue. It doesn't matter where I play, whether in the Middle East or Europe.”
The forward, who turns 41 on Thursday, is up to 961 goals following his strike in a 3-0 win over Kholood last week - but did not have the opportunity to add to this tally when he sat out Monday’s match.
