Ronaldo’s Saudi drama deepens as league issues stern warning: ‘No individual dictates league decisions’

Cristiano Ronaldo has been issued a stern warning from the Saudi Pro League amid his ongoing strike: a player, no matter how big, cannot influence decisions beyond their club. The warning from Ronaldo from the Saudi Pro League came amid the 41-year-old sitting out of Al Nassr’s match against Al Riyadh earlier this week, and there are reports that he may miss a second match, against Al Ittihad on Friday.

Ronaldo is protesting against the lack of investment at Al Nassr in the January transfer window, while their league rivals Al Hilal went on to sign former teammate Karim Benzema and many other players. Both Al Nassr and Al Hilal are co-owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Yet to win a title with Al Nassr, Ronaldo refused to play for Al Nassr against Al Riyadh to register his protest.

On Wednesday, the former Manchester United forward posted a picture from the training ground, raising hopes that he may be ready to make a comeback, but the latest reports tell otherwise.

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Saudi Pro League issues stern warning to Ronaldo

Meanwhile, the Saudi Pro League has told Ronaldo that decisions at Al Hilal and Al Nassr have been made by the respective clubs. It added that Ronaldo has also been “fully” engaged with Al Nassr to plan their growth.

“The Saudi Pro League is structured around a simple principle: every club operates independently under the same rules,” a Saudi Pro League spokesperson told the BBC.

“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,” the Saudi Pro League spokesperson added. “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.”

Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr in 2022 from Man United and signed a new two-year contract extension in 2025. There are speculations that he has offers to leave Al Nassr from Europe and the USA, but a decision would only be made after the FIFA World Cup 2026.