From Manchester to Al-Nassr: is Ronaldo repeating his pre-season crisis?
Cristiano Ronaldo has been absent from Al-Nassr training for over a month, drawing parallels to his notorious 2022 pre-season standoff at Manchester United.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Author: Ludovic Péron
The situation surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr is becoming increasingly concerning. The Portuguese forward has now missed 32 days of training, failing to join the team during their camps in Saudi Arabia, Portugal, and Abha. His prolonged absence has sparked frustration among the club's supporters, while the management and coaching staff, led by Ange Postecoglou, have remained silent.
These developments inevitably draw comparisons to the summer of 2022, when Ronaldo, then at Manchester United, skipped pre-season preparations. At the time, Erik ten Hag excluded the forward from his starting XI, citing a lack of fitness due to the missed training. That decision triggered a series of confrontations, culminating in a bombshell interview with Piers Morgan and the eventual termination of his contract with the Red Devils.
While this is not the first time Ronaldo has reported late following major tournaments—he also had a delayed return after Euro 2024—he managed to get up to speed in time for the season last year. This time, however, the outlook is more precarious, with only one week remaining before Al-Nassr's Saudi Roshn League opener against Al-Fateh.
Speculation is mounting that Ronaldo may miss the first two matches of the season, including the King's Cup clash against Al-Diriyah. Such an absence would represent a major crisis for Al-Nassr, a club currently struggling with financial limitations that have prevented them from strengthening their squad during the summer transfer window.