The Saudi Pro League has issued a warning to Cristiano Ronaldo, emphasizing that “no individual—however significant—determines decisions beyond their own club,” amid growing uncertainty over the 41-year-old forward’s future at Al-Nassr.
Ronaldo was omitted from Al-Nassr’s squad for Monday’s league match against Al-Riyadh. Portuguese outlet A Bola reported that the forward refused to play, reportedly frustrated with the way the club is managed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
BBC Sport understands that Ronaldo’s dissatisfaction was fueled by the recent move of former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema to league leaders Al-Hilal from Al-Ittihad. Benzema, 38, made an immediate impact, scoring a hat-trick on his debut in Al-Hilal’s 6-0 victory over Al-Okhdood on Thursday.
Both Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal are among the clubs owned by the PIF, which also has a stake in Newcastle United.
Ronaldo shared a photo of himself back in training on Wednesday, but it remains uncertain whether he will feature in Friday’s match against Al-Ittihad.
