Cristiano Ronaldo among four Al Nassr players reportedly set to miss King’s Cup debut

Cristiano Ronaldo has officially returned from an extended offseason break during which he tied the knot with longtime partner Georgina Rodriguez. However, the Portuguese superstar remains on a list of four key Al Nassr players expected to sit out the club’s opening fixture in the 2026-27 Saudi King’s Cup.

Al Nassr opened their 2026-27 Saudi Pro League campaign on Saturday with a commanding performance, hosting Al Fateh at Alawwal Park. Powered by goals from Angelo, Joao Felix, and Samu Costa, the home side cruised to a 3-0 victory without Ronaldo, who is reportedly set to miss another match as he works his way back into match fitness.

According to a report from Saudi outlet Al Arriyadiyah, Ronaldo will not be included in Al Nassr’s squad to take on Al Diriyah in their King’s Cup debut. The round-of-32 fixture in Saudi Arabia’s premier domestic cup tournament is scheduled for Tuesday, August 18.

After meeting with his teammates and new coaching staff during pre-season in Portugal, Ronaldo rejoined Al Nassr for full team training last Thursday following his extended post-World Cup break. With only a handful of training sessions under his belt, manager Ange Postecoglou and his technical staff decided to rest the forward to avoid risking an early-season injury setback due to a lack of match conditioning.

As revealed by Al Arriyadiyah, Ronaldo is not the only high-profile player who will sit out the cup match. Al Nassr’s list of absentees also features goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi, fullback Saad Al-Nasser, and striker Mohammed Maran.

In the goalkeeper’s case, Al-Aqidi missed the league opener with a shoulder contusion, and despite returning to health, Postecoglou opted to leave him out of the squad for the cup tie. Meanwhile, Al-Nasser suffered ankle and calf injuries that forced an early first-half substitution on Saturday, and Maran picked up a hamstring strain during his appearance in the season opener.

When will Ronaldo debut in the 2026-27 season?

Ronaldo’s last official appearance came on July 6, when he played all 90 minutes in Portugal’s round-of-16 exit at the 2026 World Cup. He has not played in a competitive match or preseason friendly since, though his return to action appears imminent.

The Portuguese legend is expected to make his season debut in Al Nassr’s upcoming Saudi Pro League fixture. Following Tuesday’s King’s Cup match, the squad will travel to face Al Riyadh on Friday, August 21, at Prince Turki bin Abdul Aziz Stadium, where Ronaldo is slated to make his first appearance of the 2026-27 campaign.