First extended until 2027, now unhappy again: Cristiano Ronaldo is said to be on strike at Al-Nassr. Frustration over the lack of transfers, internal decisions and the supremacy of the competition has even brought an early departure of the world star into play.
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- Cristiano Ronaldo was surprisingly absent from Al-Nassr's match and training session. According to the media, CR7 is on strike out of frustration with the club and the league.
- The trigger is said to be the transfer offensive of league rivals Al-Hilal, reinforced by the transfer of Karim Benzema, while Al-Nassr hardly made any upgrades in the winter.
- The tensions could lead to a premature departure, as Ronaldo reportedly has an exit clause and could leave the club in the summer.
Cristiano Ronaldo was surprisingly absent from the squad for his club Al-Nassr's game against Al-Riyadh on Monday. Thanks to a goal from Sadio Mané, Jorge Jesus' team won without CR7 and are second in the table (46 points). Leaders Al-Hilal (47) lost ground after a goalless draw against third-placed Al-Ahli (44).
The Portuguese was reportedly not on the pitch due to rest, but was also absent from training on Tuesday. Various media outlets are reporting that the superstar is on strike. Ronaldo is said to be frustrated with the situation at his club and the league.
His former Real colleague Karim Benzema, of all people, is said to have tipped the scales. The Frenchman moved from champions Al-Ittihad to league leaders Al-Hilal on Monday evening. Benzema was apparently unhappy with the offer to extend his contract and signed up with the rivals. The 38-year-old was offered a one-and-a-half-year contract.
At Al-Hilal, the goalscorer (54 goals in 83 games) will play alongside well-known team-mates such as Darwin Nunez, Theo Hernandez and Kalidou Koulibaly. The club has also strengthened its squad with Mohamed Meïté (€30 million), Saïmon Bouabré (€23 million) and veteran Pablo Marí (€2 million).
The Portuguese sees his team at a financial disadvantage
Ronaldo has little joy in the transfer offensive of the league rivals. Especially as Al-Nassr did not get any major reinforcements in the winter. His anger is directed at the Saudi state fund Public Investment Fund (PIF), which finances several top clubs (Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad). In his view, the unequal investments put his club at a disadvantage - and therefore also his chances of finally winning a title in the desert. And to improve his goal account - the five-time world footballer is determined to break the 1,000 mark.
However, Benzema's transfer was not financed by the league or the PIF, but by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a private Saudi billionaire, asSky explains. So Al-Nassr could also upgrade with the support of private investors.
In the summer, Ronaldo was still satisfied when Mohamed Simakan (35 million euros), João Félix (30 million euros), Kingsley Coman (25 million euros) and Iñigo Martínez (on a free transfer) were brought in. For a total of just over 100 million euros.
Since Ronaldo's arrival in 2023, rivals Al-Hilal have spent the most money on transfers (including Neymar, Malcom, Rúben Neves, Mitrovic, Milinkovic-Savic, Darwin Nunez, Theo Hernandez and now Benzema) with €647 million.
Al-Nassr spent 237 million euros less (including Sadio Mané, Aymeric Laporte and Kingsley Coman). But the bottom line is still an impressive 410 million euros. Al-Ahli spent another 30 million euros less (including Enzo Millot, Ivan Toney, Ryiad Mahrez, Edouard Mendy, Franck Kessié and Roberto Firmino).
In fourth place in the spending table is Al-Ittihad, which has spent a further 365 million euros on the transfer market with the now departed Benzema, N'Golo Kanté (who has just moved to Fenerbahce), Steven Bergwijn, Moussa Diaby and Fabinho), as reported by "AS".
Strike despite mega wages
As "transfermarkt" explains, there are probably also internal reasons for Al-Nassr's reticence. The powers of the management around sporting director Simão Coutinho and managing director José Semedo - two of Ronaldo's compatriots - are said to have been frozen by a decision of the board of directors at the beginning of the month, which Ronaldo is also said to have disliked.
It was only in the summer of 2025 that Ronaldo extended his contract with Al-Nassr until at least 2027, with the 226-time international (143 goals) earning over half a million euros a day in base salary. The exceptional athlete also receives various bonuses - and is an ambassador for the 2034 World Cup, which will be held in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi bosses are said to be unhappy with the actions of their figurehead. Especially as he has been awarded the most lucrative contract in sporting history.
But given the current tensions, a departure is no longer unlikely. A dissatisfied Ronaldo does not shy away from conflict, as his former employer Manchester United also found out.
According to the Portuguese newspaper "Record" (via n-tv), CR7 could leave the club in June. He has an exit clause of 50 million euros in his contract.
