Cristiano Ronaldo, a legendary Portuguese football player, may have ended his prolonged absence from the Saudi Pro League on Wednesday afternoon when he arrived at Al Nassr’s training facility two hours ahead of the planned practice.
At 1:30 PM local time, Cristiano Ronaldo, 40, was seen at the club headquarters getting ready for training before Friday’s match against Al Ettifaq.
Widespread rumors were raised by Ronaldo’s absence from recent games, notably Al Nassr’s match versus Al Riyadh in the 20th round. Due to worries about preferential treatment from Saudi officials, the striker reportedly declined to play after Karim Benzema’s high-profile transfer to league rivals Al Hilal.
His choice has sparked debate regarding the league’s fairness as well as the impact of private investment and the Kingdom’s Ministry of Sport on club transfers.
Jorge Jesus, the manager of Al Nassr and former coach of Al Hilal, has mirrored Ronaldo’s displeasure by remaining circumspect in public remarks.
Benzema and Darwin Nunez were recently acquired by Al Hilal, which is said to have received support from billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.
Al Hilal has spent €647 million on transfers since Ronaldo’s arrival, while Al Nassr has spent €410 million, underscoring the growing financial disparity.
It’s unclear if Ronaldo will play on Friday against Al Ettifaq.
