Is Cristiano Ronaldo playing today? Latest on Al Nassr forward as Saudi Pro League hits back

Cristiano Ronaldo is the richest footballer on the planet thanks to his contract with Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr, but trouble has been brewing at his Middle Eastern home.

The Portugal superstar is one of the legends of the sport, and having turned 41 on February 5, he remains active in the game despite his advanced age.

He is also still a powerful figure in football, and he is attempting to use that influence to create change at Saudi club Al Nassr, where he has played since 2023.

The Sporting News explains the situation regarding Ronaldo and his apparent frustrations with the way the lucrative league is being run.

MORE: Latest Cristiano Ronaldo news

Is Cristiano Ronaldo playing today?

Both ESPN and Fabrizio Romano have reported that Ronaldo will not take part in Al Nassr's important league match against defending champions Al Ittihad on Friday, February 6.

If he does indeed sit out, it would be the second straight match he has missed. Ronaldo was also absent for Monday's win over Al Kholood.

Is Cristiano Ronaldo on strike at Al Nassr?

Ronaldo is reported to have removed himself from selection by Al Nassr due to frustrations with the way the league is operating.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is said to feel that his team is not being strengthened in the way that the other clubs operated by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) have been. He feels that Al Nassr have been slighted compared to other teams under the group's financial umbrella, particularly Al Hilal.

MORE: A closer look at Ronaldo's frustrations in Saudi Arabia

Romano commented that Karim Benzema's transfer from Al Ittihad to Al Hilal was a trigger for Ronaldo's ire.

"Cristiano remains upset with the management from the Saudi group, especially with the PIF," the Italian journalist said. "To see the Ballon d'Or legend like Karim Benzema in the middle of the season, leaving Al Ittihad in the same system and going to Al Hilal... is something that is not making Cristiano happy."

However, The Athletic reported that Ronaldo was not only frustrated by the Benzema move, but by a wider feeling that the league is treating some clubs differently to others. Organisers responded by saying: "The competitiveness of the league speaks for itself. With only a few points separating the top four, the title race is very much alive. That level of balance reflects a system that is working as intended."

Saudi Pro League hits back at Cristiano Ronaldo

The Saudi Pro League hit back against the suggestion that PIF has dictated moves behind the scenes, claiming every club does their own transfer work regardless of the ownership structure.

"The Saudi Pro League is structured around a simple principle: Every club operates independently under the same rules," a league spokesperson said via ESPN, and The Athletic.

"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. 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."

ESPN's reporting claims that the PIF investment in player acquisitions comes from a specific fund for such a purpose, with each of PIF's four domestic clubs receiving roughly the same amount of money prior to the opening of last summer's transfer window.

ESPN also claims that the Benzema's move from Al Ittihad to Al Hilal was "financed separately by a private investor" although more details were not provided.

Saudi clubs owned by PIF

The Saudi Public Investment Fund has made significant investment into global football and is at the heart of the huge sums being spent in the country's own league in recent years.

PIF acquired a 75 percent stake in four Saudi Pro League clubs: Al Hilal, Al Nassr, Al Ittihad, and Al Ahli.

Since being brought under this ownership umbrella, these four clubs have been by far the most active in the global transfer market, and the most heavily invested-in sides in the country.

Al Nassr, for its part, saw the arrival of Ronaldo's international teammate Joao Felix from Chelsea back in the summer, as well as a deal for Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman and a swoop for free agent Inigo Martinez, formerly of Barcelona.

PIF also recently invested in Premier League club Newcastle United, acquiring a stake of around 80 percent in the Tyneside club back in October of 2021 as part of a consortium.

Could Cristiano Ronaldo leave Al Nassr?

At this point it must be considered unlikely that Ronaldo would leave Al Nassr.

He signed a new contract with the club just last summer that reportedly extended his stay in Riyadh for another two years.

That contract is said to earn him an outrageous $211 million per year (€180m / £153.5m), an astonishing sum that he would struggle to find matched anywhere else in the world.

During Romano's reporting of the situation, he said "let's not overreact" when discussing drastic measures like Ronaldo cancelling his contract with the club, so it's clear that this step is not on the table at the moment.

Still, Ronaldo seems to be doing his best to assert what power he has in Saudi Arabia, despite not having the ability to threaten to leave the club and the league.