Cristiano Ronaldo called out for 'strange' strike action at Al-Nassr that could put 1,000 career-goal target at risk

Ronaldo is fast approaching his 41st birthday, with that milestone being reached on February 5, and has offered no indication that retirement forms part of his plans for the immediate future. A deal in Riyadh through to the summer of 2027 has been committed to.

Questions are, however, being asked of whether said agreement will be honoured. That is because Ronaldo sat out Al-Nassr’s latest fixture. He is not nursing an injury and was not rotated out of Jorge Jesus’ squad in order to give him a rest.

Various reports in his native Portugal claim that Ronaldo has gone on strike. He is protesting against an apparent lack of support for Al-Nassr from the Public Investment Fund (PIF) that also call the shots at Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, and Al-Ahli.

Ronaldo has seen his former Real Madrid team-mate Karim Benzema leave Al-Ittihad for Al-Hilal - a transfer that CR7 was vehemently opposed to as he considers it to “damage the fair competition environment.”

Former Premier League star Stefan Schwarz is surprised to see Ronaldo ruling himself out of contention and hinting at a switch that would take him away from a division in which prolific tallies of goals are easier to post.

Speaking to BOYLE Sports, who offer the latest football odds, ex-Arsenal and Sunderland midfielder Schwarz said: “Cristiano Ronaldo’s strike at Al-Nassr is strange to me, it would be easier for him to get to 1,000 career goals in Saudi Pro League than the Premier League

“Could Cristiano Ronaldo still have an impact in a big European league? The Saudi Pro League is not bad at all. It’s quite competitive with some good players and it is improving too.

“Ronaldo still continues to score goals but of course it will be more difficult in the Premier League or one of the other top five leagues and he wants to break his record to score 1,000 goals, and that’s not easy no matter what league you are in.

“He is a tremendous professional. What he has done for football, it’s just insane with all the numbers, all the records he’s broken. He shows other players how to be a real pro with his approach to training, recovery, nutrition and his focus.

“But he is like any player with a contract. He has to perform. I don’t think anyone should say that they must be the most appreciated player. It all depends on your performance and while he has shown he deserves all the respect, his actions are strange to me.”

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Nobody at Al-Nassr has made an official statement on Ronaldo and his absence from a meeting with Al-Riyadh. Without CR7, a solitary strike from ex-Liverpool forward Sadio Mane saw Jorge Jesus’ side to a 1-0 win in that derby fixture.

Jesus did not speak to the press afterwards, with all media duty being cancelled. That is considered to be “abnormal behaviour” from a division that remains eager to boost its global appeal.

Al-Nassr’s management are said to have informed players and coaching staff that they were not to speak with any media outlets. It now remains to be seen whether Ronaldo will be involved in a top-of-the-table clash with Al-Hilal on Friday.

Speculation is already rife regarding his future. Portuguese news source Record claim that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is growing increasingly “unhappy” and could seek out a new challenge in the summer - after captaining his country at the 2026 World Cup.

A return to Europe has been mooted, potentially back at boyhood club Sporting, while a potential move to join eternal rival Lionel Messi in MLS has also generated plenty of lively debate.