Al Nassr are reportedly bracing for a blow ahead of their Saudi Pro League title defense, with Cristiano Ronaldo expected to miss the opening round against Al Fateh.
According to Al Nassr Zone, it is expected that Cristiano will miss the opening round of the league, with reports now pointing to his wedding as the driving factor behind the delay.
The Sun reports that Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez are set to marry on Saturday, August 8, at Funchal Cathedral in Madeira, Ronaldo’s hometown. The timing leaves him barely a week to prepare before Al Nassr‘s title defense kicks off on August 15 at Al Awwal Park, a tight turnaround between the wedding and a return to full training in Riyadh.
The wedding caps off what has already been a lengthy break for Ronaldo, who has been away from the club since Portugal’s Round of 16 exit at the 2026 World Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo #7 of Portugal applauds fans after World Cup exit. (Getty Images)
In the weeks since, he posted vacation photos from Mallorca with his family, skipped Al Nassr’s preseason training camp in Lisbon, and was absent when the squad returned to Riyadh on August 6 and resumed domestic training two days later.
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Under new head coach Ange Postecoglou, Al Nassr have reportedly requested physical tests before fully clearing Ronaldo to rejoin preseason work, as the club looks to carefully manage his workload for another demanding season across multiple competitions.
King’s Cup opener also in doubt
Ronaldo’s absence could extend beyond the Saudi Pro League opener. Al Nassr Zone also reported that Ronaldo is potentially missing the Al Diriyah match in the King’s Cup, with the team set to open its campaign in the Round of 32 on August 18— just days after the Al Fateh clash.
With such a condensed turnaround between the two fixtures, and now a wedding factored into his calendar, the club may opt to continue easing Ronaldo back gradually rather than risk his fitness across both.
