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Nieuws
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Saudi Arabia issues official Cristiano Ronaldo statement after Al-Nassr exit threat
Suraj Radia
- 6 Feb 2026 05:05 CST
- 4 min read
News
Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly warned senior figures in Saudi Arabia that he is prepared to leave the country over his frustration with recent transfer dealings surrounding Al-Nassr and their league rivals.
Ronaldo was absent from Al-Nassr’s win over Al-Riyadh earlier this week and the 41-year-old is set to miss Friday’s match against Al-Ittihad after going on strike to protest the leadership of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Current ETV
Cristiano Ronaldo
F (C)
Al-Nassr
Cristiano Ronaldo
F (C)
Al-Nassr
ETV Range
€9.4M - €11.5M
The PIF own a number of top teams in the Saudi Pro League, including Al-Nassr, and Ronaldo has taken exception to the decision to move Karim Benzema from Al-Ittihad to Al-Hilal while failing to strengthen his own side.
It had been hoped that Ronaldo would soon return to action but, according to CBS Sports, the Portuguese international’s dissatisfaction has only grown and he now feels ‘betrayed’, which could lead to his ties with Saudi Arabia being severed.
It is suggested that senior figures will need to intervene and provide Ronaldo with assurances over the future of Al-Nassr and the Pro League before he ends his strike.
Al-Hilal sit four points clear of Al-Nassr the top of the division, with tensions only increasing after Benzema scored a hat-trick on his debut, further minimising Ronaldo’s chances of winning his first Pro League title this season.
Saudi Pro League warn Ronaldo over protest
Ronaldo extended his contract last year to keep him tied to Al-Nassr until 2027 but it is understood that the deal contains a €50 million release clause if he were to leave this summer.
However, the Saudi Pro League has issued a formal response in regards to the situation in which they warned that ‘no individual, however significant, determines decisions beyond their own club’.
The statement reads: "The Saudi Pro League is structured around a simple principle: every club operates independently under the same rules.
"Clubs have their own boards, their own executives and their own football leadership. Decisions on recruitment, spending and strategy sit with those clubs, within a financial framework designed to ensure sustainability and competitive balance. That framework applies equally across the league.
"Cristiano has been fully engaged with Al Nassr since his arrival and has played an important role in the club's growth and ambition. Like any elite competitor, he wants to win. But no individual - however significant - determines decisions beyond their own club.
"Recent transfer activity demonstrates that independence clearly. One club strengthened in a particular way. Another chose a different approach. Those were club decisions, taken within approved financial parameters.
"The competitiveness of the league speaks for itself. With only a few points separating the top four, the title race is very much alive. That level of balance reflects a system that is working as intended.
"The focus remains on football - on the pitch, where it belongs - and on maintaining a credible, competitive competition for players and fans."
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