Despite Cristiano Ronaldo’s continued absence from the pitch, Al Nassr have made their stance clear: they stand with their captain. During the Matchday 21 fixture against Al Ittihad, the fans displayed various tributes to the Portuguese legend, who remains in a self-imposed strike due to ongoing disagreements with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).
The supporters were equally vocal in their solidarity. In the 7th minute—a nod to his iconic shirt number—the stadium erupted in a coordinated chant of his name, with banners held high across the home sections. It was a powerful message from the Al Nassr faithful, who are firmly behind Ronaldo despite the friction his boycott has caused within the league’s leadership.
While the Saudi Pro League have previously warned that ‘no individual, however important, makes decisions beyond their own club,’ the atmosphere in Riyadh suggested that for the Al Nassr fans, Ronaldo remains the heart of the project.
Al Nassr have yet to announce when their star forward will return to the lineup, but the internal support remains unwavering as the club navigate this unprecedented situation.
Ronaldo could take extreme measures if conditions unchanged
The root of Cristiano Ronaldo’s protest is his belief that the PIF manage resources unequally among the clubs under their control (Al Nassr, Al Hilal, Al Ahli, and Al Ittihad). He has signaled that a perceived favoritism is directly undermining Al Nassr.
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The breaking point for Ronaldo was the arrival of his former Real Madrid teammate, Karim Benzema, at Al Hilal—Al Nassr’s direct rivals and the current Saudi Pro League leaders. During this transfer window, the other three PIF-backed teams saw significant reinforcements, while Al Nassr only signed Haider Abdulkarim on a free transfer.
This standoff has put the PIF in a difficult position. Ronaldo remains the league’s global face, and his absence from the pitch directly impacts the competition’s international viewership.
Sources now suggest that if the PIF do not address these inequalities and restore the management’s authority, Ronaldo could look to activate a summer release clause to leave Al Nassr as early as June 2026.
