Cristiano Ronaldo transfer news: Al Nassr forward expected to end his Saudi Arabia strike
Cristiano Ronaldo is considering his future in Saudi Arabia due to concerns over the financial backing Al Nassr are receiving from Saudi Public Investment Fund, who also own Al Hilal, Al Ahli and Al Ittihad; Ronaldo is now expected to play on Friday vs Al Ittihad
Wednesday 4 February 2026 17:40, UK
Senior Saudi football officials are now expecting Cristiano Ronaldo to end his strike and play against Al Ittihad on Friday.
Ronaldo has been considering his future in Saudi Arabia due to concerns over the financial backing Al Nassr are receiving compared to other clubs.
His return to action has not been confirmed but officials are hoping he has made his point and Friday's game will be too big for him to miss. He is also contractually obliged to play unless he is injured.
The officials are surprised that he is unhappy - despite earning a reported £500,000 a day - and want him to play against Al Ittihad on Friday.
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He has 18 months left on his contract but it does have a £43m (€50m) summer release clause - even though he will turn 41 on Thursday.
Al Nassr could go top of the SPL on Friday.
Saudi officials believe Ronaldo is still in Riyadh despite reports he has flown to Portugal.
Al Nassr's official X account posted pictures of his team-mates and manager Jorge Jesus on Wednesday, but so far there have been no images of Ronaldo since Sunday.
Ronaldo was missing from his team's Saudi Pro League game win over Al Riyadh on Monday - and Sky Sports News has been told the star is unhappy about the running of the club.
The 40-year-old believes Al Nassr are not receiving the same financial support as the three other clubs owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF - Al Hilal, Al Ahli and Al Ittihad.
Ronaldo is angry that Al Hilal have signed Karim Benzema from Al Ittihad, while the only addition to the Al Nassr squad in the January window was a young Iraqi midfielder Hayder Abdulkareem.
Al Hilal lead Al Nassr by one point at the top of the Saudi Pro League and Ronaldo wanted his club to be more ambitious during the window because he wants to win the Saudi title for the first time.
Although he feels PIF are giving their other clubs preferential treatment, Saudi Arabian football has opened up and clubs are now being bought by investors.
Benzema's move to Al Hilal is not being funded by the league or PIF but by a private billionaire Saudi investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. There is nothing stopping Al Nassr from signing more players with the backing of private investors.
From a Saudi perspective, Ronaldo retains their full support and nothing has changed.
He has been involved in the club at every level with his own team and they have been across all the transfers and investment opportunities, which makes it surprising that he is so unhappy.
The SPL believe their league is a fair fight and there is still all to play for this season. The funding provided by the league is clear and fair across all PIF clubs.
If Al Nassr were not active in January, it was because they have already spent £100m this season.
The financial regulations and league funding through the Player Acquisition Center of Excellence are designed to maintain integrity, make sure the league and clubs are sustainable and competitive.
