Al Nassr fans show support for absent Cristiano Ronaldo amid Saudi dispute

Al Nassr fans showed their support for Cristiano Ronaldo on Friday after he missed a second match in a row amid reports of frustration over transfers. The 41-year-old was not included in the squad for Al Nassr’s 2-0 win against Al Ittihad, having also missed Monday’s 1-0 victory over Al Riyadh.Reports from Portugal’s A Bola newspaper say Ronaldo is unhappy with recent transfers. He is said to believe other Saudi Pro League clubs signed better players during the transfer window.

Al Hilal currently lead the league by one point ahead of Al Nassr. They signed Karim Benzema, who previously played for Real Madrid. Benzema scored three goals in his first match after moving from Al Ittihad.Al Nassr, Al Hilal, Al Ittihad, and Al Ahli are all owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the country’s sovereign wealth fund.Ronaldo has not commented publicly but a widely reported Saudi Pro League statement said the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, "like any elite competitor, wants to win. "However, no individual, no matter how important, can influence decisions outside of their club." During Friday’s match in Riyadh, Al Nassr fans showed support for Ronaldo. In the seventh minute, they held up signs with the number 7, which is his shirt number.Ronaldo joined Al Nassr in January 2023 and has not yet won the Saudi league. Many well-known players have moved to Saudi Arabia since then. The country will host the 2034 World Cup.