Cristiano Ronaldo transfer news: Al Nassr forward misses second Saudi Pro League game against Al Ittihad amid ongoing strike
Al Nassr are playing a huge Saudi Pro League game against Al Ittihad on Friday - but Cristiano Ronaldo is not involved; the 41-year-old trained with his team this week but was not named in the matchday squad; Ronaldo is unhappy with Al Nassr's transfer policy
Friday 6 February 2026 19:48, UK
Cristiano Ronaldo has missed a second straight Al Nassr game after not featuring in the Saudi Pro League fixture against Al Ittihad on Friday.
Ronaldo returned to training with his Al Nassr team-mates this week - but was not in the matchday squad named by boss Jorge Jesus.
The Portuguese forward continuing his one-man protest comes after news that Saudi Arabian football officials are losing patience with the 41-year-old.
Officials hoped Ronaldo had made his point by missing Al Nassr's game against Al Riyadh on Monday and Friday's game would be too big for him to miss as they urged him to return to the pitch.
They believe Ronaldo's protest is harming the image of the Saudi Pro League and the Kingdom's sovereign wealth fund. The SPL publicly warned the player ahead of Friday's game.
But Al Nassr won for the second game in a row without Ronaldo, beating Al Ittihad 2-0 thanks to goals scored by Sadio Mané and Angelo Gabriel.
The result means they climb back up to second in the Saudi Pro League, one point behind leaders Al Hilal.
Ronaldo feels his club Al Nassr are not being backed financially as much as their title rivals Al Hilal. Both clubs are majority owned by The Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund.
The forward is convinced Al Hilal are getting preferential treatment and he was particularly angry that they strengthened their squad by bringing in players such as Karim Benzema during the January window.
The SPL believes its 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.
Benzema scored a hat-trick on his debut on Thursday as Al Hilal beat Al Akhdoud 6-0 to stretch their lead over third-placed Al Nassr to four points in the SPL.
The Saudi officials are surprised that Ronaldo is unhappy - despite earning a reported £500,000 a day. He has 18 months left on his contract but it does have a £43m (€50m) summer release clause - even though he turned 41 on Thursday.
What did the SPL say to Ronaldo?
While Ronaldo may be the face of the SPL, the league issued a statement on Thursday evening firing back at the Portuguese star by reaffirming that he has no say on what happens at clubs outside of his own.
"The Saudi Pro League is structured around a simple principle: every club operates independently under the same rules," a league spokesperson said.
"Clubs have their own boards, their own executives and their own football leadership. Decisions on recruitment, spending and strategy sit with those clubs, within a financial framework designed to ensure sustainability and competitive balance. That framework applies equally across the league.
"Cristiano has been fully engaged with Al Nassr since his arrival and has played an important role in the club's growth and ambition. Like any elite competitor, he wants to win. But no individual - however significant - determines decisions beyond their own club.
"Recent transfer activity demonstrates that independence clearly. One club strengthened in a particular way. Another chose a different approach. Those were club decisions, taken within approved financial parameters.
"The competitiveness of the league speaks for itself. With only a few points separating the top four, the title race is very much alive. That level of balance reflects a system that is working as intended.
"The focus remains on football - on the pitch, where it belongs - and on maintaining a credible, competitive competition for players and fans."
