A revelation about Al-Nassr puts Ronaldo in an awkward position!

After his departure from Portugal, a similar episode with Al-Nassr this summer is back at the center of discussions

World Today at 16:30

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A revelation about Al-Nassr puts Ronaldo in an awkward position!

As his departure from Portugal sparks controversy, a previous incident involving Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr has resurfaced in Saudi Arabia.

The situation involving Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal continues to fuel debate. Unhappy at not coming on against Norway after a lengthy warm-up, then informed that he would not start against Denmark, the Portugal captain left the squad’s training camp. A few hours later, Spanish journalist Guillem Balague recalled a similar episode that had occurred a few weeks earlier with Al-Nassr.

On August 25, during the trip to Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League, Ronaldo had started the match before being replaced at half-time by Abdullah Al-Khaibari. Al-Nassr, reduced to ten men and trailing 2-0, eventually turned the game around to win 3-2.

Balague recalls an episode involving Al-Nassr

According to Guillem Balague’s account, Al-Nassr’s bus arrived at the stadium accompanied by a private car intended for Ronaldo. After a difficult first half and his substitution at the break, the Portuguese player allegedly left the playing area without taking a place on the bench for the second half.

The Spanish journalist then drew a parallel between this episode and the current situation involving Jorge Jesus: « Those who knew the situation suddenly understood that Ange had gained the upper hand. A bit like Jorge Jesus. » For his part, Ange Postecoglou explained after the match that he had been looking for « a different approach » with ten men against eleven, without presenting his decision as a sanction.

There is an interesting antecedent to what has just happened with Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal.

In late August, during Al Ettifaq v Al Nassr, something happened that has been kept quiet (well, till now)
— Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) October 2, 2026

Al-Nassr third despite a strong start to the season

In sporting terms, Al-Nassr remains well placed. After seven league matchdays, the Riyadh club sits in 3rd place with 16 points, behind Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad. Its Saudi Pro League record is 5 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat, with 16 goals scored and 7 conceded.

Across all competitions, Al-Nassr have played 9 official matches since the start of the season, recording 6 wins, 1 draw and 2 defeats. Their heaviest loss came in the AFC Champions League against Al-Ain (0-4). Ronaldo had nevertheless made club history again at the end of August by becoming their all-time top scorer in the Saudi Pro League.

132 goals for Al-Nassr since 2023

Having arrived in Riyadh in January 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo continues to post impressive statistics. To date, he has scored 132 goals in 155 official matches for Al-Nassr, in addition to providing 23 assists. That represents an average of 0.85 goals per match.

Since the start of the 2026/2027 season, the Portuguese player has played 7 matches in all competitions, scoring 3 goals. Even at 41, his sporting influence therefore remains considerable. But after the Al-Ettifaq episode and now the crisis with Portugal, his reaction to his coaches’ decisions is once again under the spotlight.