Cristiano Ronaldo, a legendary Portuguese football player, came to Al Nassr’s training facility on Wednesday afternoon, two hours ahead of the planned session, suggesting that his recent absence from the Saudi Pro League may come to an end.
At 1:30 PM local time, Cristiano Ronaldo, 40, was seen at the club headquarters getting ready for training in advance of Friday’s match against Al Ettifaq.
Ronaldo’s absence from recent games, such as Al Nassr’s encounter versus Al Riyadh in the 20th round, generated a lot of conjecture. According to reports, the striker had declined to play after Karim Benzema’s high-profile move to league rivals Al Hilal, claiming that Saudi officials were giving him preferential treatment.
His choice has sparked debate regarding the league’s fairness as well as the impact of private investment in club transfers and the Kingdom’s Ministry of Sport.
Similar to Ronaldo’s difficulties, Jorge Jesus, the manager of Al Nassr and former coach of Al Hilal, has remained circumspect in public remarks.
With apparent support from billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, Al Hilal just acquired Benzema and Darwin Nunez, demonstrating their continued heavy spending.
Al Hilal has spent €647 million on transfers since Ronaldo arrived, while Al Nassr has spent €410 million, underscoring the growing financial disparity.
It remains to be known if Ronaldo will play on Friday against Al Ettifaq.