Cristiano Ronaldo has brought his international career with Portugal to an end, but his return to club soccer has encountered an unexpected delay. The forward was expected to feature for Al-Nassr on Friday, November 6, as the club prepared to visit Al-Hazem in the 2026-27 Saudi Pro League, only for the fixture to disappear from the schedule.
The postponement comes at a significant moment for Ronaldo, who is closing in on one of soccer’s most remarkable individual milestones. With his next appearance now pushed back, supporters will have to wait longer to see him continue his pursuit of 1,000 career goals.
The postponement temporarily interrupts Ronaldo’s pursuit of the 1,000-goal milestone. The Portuguese forward currently has 985 official senior career goals, leaving him just 15 away from a landmark no player has previously reached in official senior matches.
He moved closer to the target with a hat-trick in Al-Nassr’s 5-3 victory over Al-Kholood on October 29. The 41-year-old subsequently missed the club’s 6-2 AFC Champions League victory over Uzbek side Pakhtakor on November 2, having been rested for the match.
Ronaldo also announced his retirement from international soccer on November 5, ending a 23-year career with Portugal. He leaves the national team as its record appearance-maker and leading goalscorer, with 234 caps and 146 goals.
Why was Al-Nassr vs. Al-Hazem postponed?
The Saudi Pro League announced on Tuesday, November 3, that all Matchweek 13 fixtures in the 2026-27 season would be postponed. Al-Nassr’s scheduled meeting with Al-Hazem was among the affected games, and no replacement date has been confirmed.
The decision followed the Asian Football Confederation’s announcement that the 2027 AFC Asian Cup had been rescheduled. The tournament, which Saudi Arabia is due to host, was initially planned for January 7 to February 5, 2027, but will now take place from December 23, 2027, to January 21, 2028, amid security concerns following attacks in the kingdom.
The revised continental competition dates have created additional flexibility in the domestic soccer calendar, prompting the league to reconsider how its remaining fixtures should be distributed.
The Saudi Pro League explained: “The decision comes as part of a wider review of the 2026-27 RSL (Roshn Saudi League) fixture schedule, with the revised Asian Cup dates creating additional flexibility in the domestic football calendar.”
The league also stressed that the review would prioritize player welfare and a more balanced schedule, adding that it would organize a workshop with participating clubs to discuss proposed adjustments and collect feedback before finalizing the new calendar.
“The review will focus on achieving a more balanced distribution of fixtures across the remainder of the season, while ensuring adequate rest and recovery periods for players,” the statement continued.
Al-Nassr will therefore not receive a defeat or lose points because of the postponement. The entire round has been rescheduled, meaning the clubs involved will retain their existing points until their matches are played.
When is Cristiano Ronaldo’s next game?
With the Al-Hazem fixture postponed and Ronaldo no longer expected to represent Portugal during the upcoming international window, his next scheduled opportunity to return is Al-Nassr’s meeting with Al-Qadsiah on November 20, 2026.
The Matchday 14 encounter is expected to take place at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh, although the kick-off time has not been confirmed. Al-Nassr entered the postponed Matchweek 13 in third place with 28 points, having accumulated those points across its first 11 league matches.
The club will now have additional time to prepare for its next domestic assignment, while the league works with its teams to finalize the revised schedule. For Ronaldo, the wait also means a little more time before he can resume his pursuit of the historic 1,000-goal mark.
