Cristiano Ronaldo is back on the training pitch with Al Nassr, but fans will have to wait a little longer to see him make his season debut. According to The Al Nassr Tribune, the Portuguese forward is expected to make his first appearance of the 2026-27 campaign on August 21 against Al Riyadh in the Matchday 2 of the Saudi Pro League.
That means Ronaldo will sit out the club’s first two matches of the new season: the league opener against Al Fateh, and the King Cup Round of 32 clash with Al Diriyah just days later.
Both absences trace back to the same reason — his recent wedding to Georgina Rodríguez in Portugal, which prompted manager Ange Postecoglou to grant him extended leave.
Ronaldo hadn’t taken part in a single Al Nassr training session until today, meaning he now needs time on the training pitch to build up match fitness before he can be considered for selection.
For now, Postecoglou will have to navigate the opening rounds of the season without his star forward, leaning on the rest of the squad to get points on the board before Ronaldo is expected to slot back into the starting lineup for the trip to face Al Riyadh later this month.
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Cristiano Ronaldo won’t be the only one at Al Awwal Park as Al Nassr agree to share stadium with Diriyah FC amid financial strain
Ronaldo’s chase for 1,000 career goals
Beyond the return-to-fitness storyline, this season carries extra significance for Ronaldo as he closes in on one of football’s most extraordinary milestones. At 41 years old, the forward sits on 976 career goals — 830 for club and 146 for Portugal — meaning he needs just 24 more to become the first player in history to reach 1,000 official goals.
The timeline suggests it’s well within reach. Ronaldo scored 28 goals across all competitions for Al Nassr last season, and if he maintains anything close to that rate once he’s back up to speed, the 1,000-goal mark could realistically fall before the 2026-27 campaign is over.
