Cristiano Ronaldo’s season in Saudi Arabia was supposed to be defined by records, goals, and silverware. Instead, as the Saudi Pro League reaches a critical phase, frustration has begun to overshadow brilliance. The Portuguese icon, still central to Al-Nassr’s identity and ambitions, finds himself watching from the sidelines once again. However, with every missed match, the chase for individual glory grows more complicated.
For a player who measures time in goals and milestones, absence carries consequences. While the Portuguese superstar remains one of the league’s most feared finishers, recent events have shifted the narrative away from dominance and toward tension, protest, and uncertainty.
Ronaldo is set to boycott a second successive Saudi Pro League match, a decision that sources say stems from growing dissatisfaction with the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) and its handling of Al-Nassr. According to ESPN, the forward deliberately sat out the club’s 1-0 victory over Al-Riyadh, despite being fit and available. “Cristiano Ronaldo is set to boycott his second-straight Saudi Pro League match amid frustrations with the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund,” both ESPN and Fabrizio Romano confirmed.
The boycott is not due to injury or fitness concerns. Instead, it reflects the 41-year-old’s belief that Al-Nassr has been weakened by internal interference, particularly during the most recent transfer window. His frustration intensified after senior figures within the club, sporting director Simao Coutinho and CEO Jose Semedo, were suspended by PIF, a move that coincided with reduced spending and stalled recruitment.
Cristiano Ronaldo of team Al-Nassr FC during the Saudi Pro League game between Al Nassr and Al Taawoun
Stark contrast with a title rival
While Al-Nassr struggled to reinforce, the situation elsewhere painted a very different picture. ESPN adds that Al-Hilal received a major financial injection from Saudi businessman Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, allowing the club to significantly strengthen its squad. “All of Al-Hilal’s signings in this window were funded by Prince Alwaleed,” ESPN‘s sources revealed, noting that the prince controls 25% ownership, with the remaining stake held by PIF.
The failed attempt to redirect Karim Benzema away from a rival, a move Ronaldo reportedly tried to block, became a breaking point. Ronaldo allegedly viewed the transfer outcome as deliberately tilting the title race, deepening his sense of injustice.
Karim Benzema of Al Ittihad and Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr
Another absence takes its toll
Despite the standoff, Ronaldo has continued to train normally and even posted images of himself in Al-Nassr colors. However, internally, he has communicated clear conditions for his return. As reported, “his comeback depends on the quick reactivation of the club’s management powers and an end to external interference in transfer decisions.”
While politics and protest dominate headlines, the sporting consequences are already visible. Cristiano Ronaldo last scored on January 30, opening the scoring in a 3-0 win over Al-Kholood. Since then, his absence has stalled his momentum and allowed another striker to quietly move ahead. That striker is Ivan Toney.
The English forward struck again on Thursday as Al-Ahli defeated Al-Hazem 2-0, scoring his 19th league goal and pushing his club into second place, leapfrogging Al-Nassr. According to official data, Toney has now edged ahead in the Golden Boot race, capitalizing on Ronaldo’s absence at a decisive moment.
The 29-year-old now leads the scoring charts with 19 goals, while Ronaldo follows closely with 17 goals from 18 matches. The gap remains narrow, but time and minutes are becoming precious.
