The football world has been rocked as Cristiano Ronaldo has effectively gone on strike at his club Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.
Despite earning a staggering £175 million annual salary, the 41-year-old icon was a shock absentee from Al Nassr’s recent 1-0 victory over Al Riyadh, sparking a firestorm of speculation regarding his future in Riyadh.
The former Real Madrid and Juventus winger has a massive €50 million (£44m/$60m) release clause looming in his contract. Striver Football breaks down why the Portuguese superstar’s situation at the club has reached a breaking point.
Benzema’s move to Al Hilal
According to The Athletic, Karim Benzema’s move from Al Ittihad to Al Hilal was the final straw. Ronaldo felt aggrieved that the club was not ambitious enough in the January transfer window.
Ronaldo reportedly views this move as one that compromises fair competition, effectively “paving the way” for an Al Hilal title win.
It is reported he was unhappy with the transfer business the club conducted in January.
Ronaldo is desperate to win his second major title with Al Nassr since signing in January 2023.
With 961 career goals and counting, Ronaldo not only wants to hit the 1000 career goal mark, but also win the title. Naturally, the stronger the squad, the greater the chances.
So you can imagine his disappointment when they failed to strengthen their squad in pursuit of the title. The striker’s strike is a calculated protest against the club’s hierarchy and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Furthermore, Al Nassr only signed Saudi forward Abdullah Al-Hamdan and Iraqi youngster Haydeer Abdulkareem, while their rivals have gone on to sign more established players.
Al Nassr trailing behind SPL’s PIF-funded clubs
Since Ronaldo’s arrival, the financial landscape of the SPL has shifted dramatically. While Al Nassr have spent heavily, they are still trailing the league’s dominant force.
Al Hilal have spent close to £566 million on the likes of Neymar, Darwin Nunez and Karim Benzema.
Ronaldo’s Al Nassr are second on £360 million. They have also signed the likes of Joao Felix, Sadio Mane and Kingsley Koman in recent years.
Al Ahli have spent big as well, but most notably on Roberto Firmino and Riyad Mahrez. Al Ittihad, meanwhile, have signed the likes of Steven Bergwijn and Moussa Diaby.
Note: Despite his 111 goals in 127 matches, Ronaldo has only secured one trophy at Al Nassr: the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup.
Does Ronaldo have a £44m release clause?
Ronaldo recently signed an extension keeping him at the club until 2027, but the “secret” £44 million release clause active this summer has changed the calculus, according to Portuguese outlet Record.
Reports suggest that if “management authority” is not restored, specifically the return of suspended Portuguese allies CEO Jose Semedo and Sporting Director Simao Coutinho, Ronaldo could look for an exit as early as June 2026.
This could open the door for other SPL rivals – or a handful of other clubs in world football – to make a move for him.
What next for CR7?
Ronaldo recently shared a photo of himself training on social media on Thursday.
However, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that he won’t feature against Al Ittihad later in the week, which is a sign that the situation is yet to be sorted.
Ronaldo has spoken in glowing terms about how good the SPL is. Whether he solves the situation or not, it is clear that the most famous man in football is no longer satisfied with just being the most handsomely-paid athlete in the world.