Al Nassr fans cheer for absent Cristiano Ronaldo amid reports of his frustration over rival clubs’ transfer deals, deepening a row in the Saudi Pro League.
AL NASSR fans displayed their support for an absent Cristiano Ronaldo on Friday as the Portuguese superstar missed a second consecutive match.
The 41-year-old was not in the squad for Al Nassr’s 2-0 win against Al Ittihad, having also sat out Monday’s 1-0 victory over Al Riyadh.
Fans held up placards showing ‘7’, Ronaldo’s shirt number, in the seventh minute of the game at Al Nassr’s home ground in Riyadh.
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Portugal’s A Bola newspaper reported that Ronaldo has complained rival Saudi Pro League clubs secured better deals in the recent transfer window.
League leaders Al Hilal, one point ahead of Al Nassr, signed ex-Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, who scored a hat-trick on his debut after switching from Al Ittihad.
Al Nassr, Al Hilal, Al Ittihad and Al Ahli are all owned by the Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.
Ronaldo has not commented publicly, but a widely reported Saudi Pro League statement said the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, “like any elite competitor, wants to win.”
“However, no individual, no matter how important, can influence decisions outside of their club,” the statement added.
Ronaldo is yet to win the Saudi league since joining Al Nassr in January 2023.
Several big names have followed him to Saudi Arabia, which will host the 2034 World Cup.
