Overview
- Al-Nassr’s team sheet confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo did not make the squad to face Al-Riyadh, with Fabrizio Romano reporting his absence is not injury- or fitness-related.
- Portuguese outlet A Bola and ESPN report he made himself unavailable in protest over the Public Investment Fund’s investment in Al-Nassr compared with Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad.
- Al-Nassr’s only winter signing was 21-year-old midfielder Haydeer Abdulkareem, and coach Jorge Jesus publicly cited a lack of foreign-player slots and financial constraints.
- Coverage also notes internal changes reducing the authority of sporting director Simão Coutinho and CEO José Semedo, and points to talk of Karim Benzema moving to Al-Hilal as a flashpoint.
- It is not clear if Ronaldo’s stance extends beyond this fixture, and there was no definitive club statement addressing the reported protest at the time of the match.