By Kwame Bediako
Cristiano Ronaldo has sparked controversy by sitting out Al-Nassr’s recent 1-0 victory against Al-Riyadh and signaling he’ll skip tonight’s clash with Al-Ittihad.
His boycott stems from frustration over what he sees as uneven favoritism in the Saudi Pro League, particularly from the Public Investment Fund (PIF), which backs multiple top clubs including Al-Nassr.
Ronaldo’s ire boils down to PIF’s spending priorities. While Al-Nassr pushed for reinforcements during the January transfer window, the fund facilitated Karim Benzema’s high-profile switch from Al-Ittihad to rival Al-Hilal.
Benzema wasted no time, exploding with a hat-trick and assist on debut, fueling Ronaldo’s sense that his club is being shortchanged in the league’s power structure.
In a pointed response, the Saudi Pro League fired back through a spokesperson, as reported by ESPN.
“The league operates on a core principle: Every club runs independently under identical rules,” the statement declared.
It praised Ronaldo’s contributions to Al-Nassr’s rise but drew a firm line. The rebuttal emphasized that no star, no matter how big, calls shots outside their own team.
“Recent transfers prove this independence, one club bolstered in one area, another took a different path, all within financial limits,” it added. As Al-Nassr gears up for Al-Ittihad, Ronaldo’s standoff tests the league’s unity and his future role.
