Saudi Pro League Sends Strong Message to Cristiano Ronaldo Amid Al-Nassr Future Doubts
The Saudi Pro League has issued a pointed reminder to Cristiano Ronaldo: no player – no matter how big – is bigger than the club or the league. The statement comes as uncertainty grows over the 41-year-old’s future at Al-Nassr.
Ronaldo was surprisingly left out of Al-Nassr’s squad for their recent league match against Al-Riyadh. Portuguese media (A Bola) reported that he refused to play, reportedly unhappy with how Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) – which owns both Al-Nassr and rivals Al-Hilal – is managing his club.
A major trigger appears to be the high-profile transfer of Karim Benzema from Al-Ittihad to league leaders Al-Hilal. Benzema, Ronaldo’s former Real Madrid teammate, made an immediate impact by scoring a hat-trick on debut in a 6-0 win. Both clubs are PIF-backed, fueling speculation that Ronaldo feels his team is not being prioritised in the same way.
In an official response to BBC Sport, a Saudi Pro League spokesperson stressed that every club operates independently under the same rules, with its own board and football leadership. They acknowledged Ronaldo has been “fully engaged” since joining in 2022 (where he’s scored an impressive 91 goals in 95 league games), but added that elite players naturally want to win – yet “no individual… determines decisions beyond their own club.”
Ronaldo signed a new two-year deal in June 2025, reportedly worth £177 million per year, making him the highest-paid player in football history. Despite earlier rumours of a possible loan switch to Al-Hilal, only one minor signing (Iraq U23 midfielder Hayder Abdulkareem) arrived in January.
Currently, Al-Hilal lead the table unbeaten on 50 points after 20 games, while Al-Nassr sit third, four points behind with a game in hand. The title race remains tight, and league officials are unsure whether Ronaldo will feature in the upcoming Friday clash against Al-Ittihad.
The situation highlights growing tension between one of football’s biggest stars and the increasingly competitive, PIF-funded Saudi Pro League project.