According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, Ronaldo will be absent from Al Nassr's match against Al Riyadh at Prince Turki bin Abdulaziz Stadium, scheduled for 10:15 p.m. Hanoi time today, 2/2.

Local media initially suggested this decision was to rest the Portuguese striker before the crucial match against Al Ittihad on 6/2. However, sources close to Al Nassr denied this possibility.

Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during Al Nassr's 3-2 loss to Al Ettifaq at Mrsool Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on 21/1. Photo: AS

The underlying cause stems from Ronaldo's dissatisfaction with PIF's management of Al Nassr. According to A Bola, the 40-year-old superstar believes Al Nassr receives inadequate investment and preferential treatment compared to its direct rivals, despite also being managed by PIF. He is particularly unhappy with the team's transfer policy. During the early-year transfer window, Al Nassr only signed Haydeer Abdulkareem, a 21-year-old Iraqi midfielder, while coach Jorge Jesus's requests for squad reinforcements went unfulfilled. This leads Ronaldo to believe the team is being weakened in the title race.

The situation has become more complex with two Portuguese members of Al Nassr's leadership, Simao Coutinho, the sports director, and Jose Semedo, the chief executive officer, having their powers frozen since early this month by a decision from the Board of Directors. Ronaldo believes these actions negatively impact the club's stability and development strategy.

Comparisons with Al Hilal further fuel Ronaldo's discontent. The city rival, also managed by PIF, has been highly active in the transfer market, spending over 2 million USD to acquire center-back Pablo Mari from Fiorentina and preparing to invest over 30 million USD to sign 18-year-old striker Kader Meite from Rennes.

Furthermore, Arab media reports suggest Al Hilal is nearing a deal to sign Karim Benzema, as the French striker faces stalled contract extension talks with Al Ittihad. The team under coach Simone Inzaghi is also reportedly close to finalizing the transfer of Saimon Bouabre, a France U21 international from Neom, for approximately 33 million USD.

A Bola underscores that Ronaldo's decision to miss the match is the clearest indication of the simmering discontent at Al Nassr. In mid-January, coach Jorge Jesus publicly asserted that Al Nassr "does not have the political power of Al Hilal" – a statement that shocked Saudi football and prompted Al Hilal to demand a suspension of six months to one year for the Portuguese coach.

Al Nassr is currently second in the Saudi Pro League standings with 43 points, three points behind Al Hilal. Ronaldo also ranks second in the top scorer list with 17 goals, one goal behind Ivan Toney of Al Ahli.

Hong Duy (according to Abola)