Is Ronaldo’s Al Nassr strike over? Star could return for crucial Al Ittihad clash after joining team training

Ronaldo earns a reported £500,000 a day at Al Nassr (according to a report in Sky Sports) and contractually obliged to play unless he is injured. The star now has 18 months left on his contract, which has a £43 million summer release clause.

After Ronaldo had skipped the team’s Saudi Pro League win over Al Riyadh on Monday, reports suggested that he was unhappy about the running of the club. Al Nassr are owned by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund PIF, just like Al Hilal, Al Ahli and Al Ittihad. However, reports stated that Ronaldo is angry that Al Nassr was not getting the same financial support from the sovereign wealth fund PIF as the other three clubs.

Cristiano Ronaldo in action for Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr. (PHOTO: Al Nassr via X)

Ronaldo’s “strike” started after the former Real Madrid star was signed by Al Hilal, who are Al Nassr’s rivals for the league title. Al Hilal poached Benzema from Al Ittihad. Ronaldo’s anger arose from the fact that his own side have not been able to buy players in the ongoing transfer window, with a young Iraqi midfielder, Hayder Abdulkareem, being the only incoming transfer for Al Nassr in January.

Ronaldo has not managed to help AL Nassr win the Saudi league title yet. Currently, Al Hilal hold a one-point lead over Al Nassr at the top of the Saudi Pro League standings.

A report in Sky Sports noted that Benzema’s move to Al Hilal was bankrolled by a private billionaire Saudi investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal rather than the league or the PIF. Al Nassr, meanwhile, have not been constrained by the PIF from signing more players with the backing of private investors like Al Hilal have with Benzema.

The Sky Sports report added that Al Nassr have already spent £100 million this season.