Is Cristiano Ronaldo out at Al-Nassr? Star striker's protest sparks exit rumours

Saudi Arabian football has hit by a growing crisis as global superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was missing from his club Al-Nassr’s match on Monday, February 2.

The Portuguese footballer has directly challenged the club’s owner, Saudi Arabia’s powerful sovereign fund, and the Public Investment Fund (PIF).

According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Ronaldo has been clearly dissatisfied with how PIF is managing the club.

He showed his concerns over domestic rivals in the transfer market despite his own prolific goal-scoring form.

Ronaldo joined the club in 2022 with a staggering £177 million annual salary. However, he managed to lift only one trophy, i.e., the Arab Champions Cup in 2023.

During his tenure, he has seen other PIF-owned clubs, including Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad, secure major league titles.

This situation highlights a far worse power struggle than imagined. PIF has a controlling interest in four of the league’s top teams, which automatically poses a conflict of interest.

This has been exacerbated by rumours that Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr’s direct title rivals, have recently shown interest in signing Karim Benzema from another PIF-owned club, Al-Ittihad.

Ronaldo renewed his two-year contract in June 2025.

With the January transfer window looming, his high-profile stance now seems to be a last-ditch attempt to force PIF to improve the Al-Nassr squad or suffer the indignity of having their high-profile signing in open revolt.

The aftermath of this situation will prove to be a significant test of the sporting policy of Saudi Arabia and Ronaldo’s influence.