Cristiano Ronaldo receives public warning from Saudi Pro League over Al-Nassr strike with CR7 set to sit out another match

Ronaldo, who is now 41 years of age, has protested against what he considers to be unfair advantages awarded to domestic rivals by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) - with Al-Hilal splashing out £26 million ($35m) apiece on Kader Meite and Saimon Bouabre during the winter window, while also prising Pablo Mari from Fiorentina and snapping up ex-Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema as a free agent.

CR7 refused to represent Al-Nassr in a derby date with Al-Riyadh, leading to inevitable questions being asked of his future. He has subsequently returned to training, but various reports - such as those from Sky Sports - are suggesting that strike action could continue through a top-of-the-table clash with Al-Ittihad on Friday.

Saudi Pro League bosses have taken to reminding Ronaldo that every club in their division operates independently, meaning that the all-time great should raise any issues with his own employers - rather than potentially damage the reputation of the league as a whole.

A statement from a spokesperson read: “The Saudi Pro League is structured around a simple principle: every club operates independently under the same rules.

“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.

“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.

“The focus remains on football - on the pitch, where it belongs - and on maintaining a credible, competitive competition for players and fans.”

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Ronaldo has helped to raise the profile of football in the Middle East, having completed a stunning switch to Al-Nassr in 2023 after seeing his contract at Manchester United terminated. He paved the way for several other established stars to join him in the Saudi Pro League.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is working on the most lucrative deal in world football, which is said to be worth close to £500,000 a day. Those terms were extended last summer through to the end of the 2026-27 campaign.

That agreement may not be honoured, with Ronaldo mulling over his options. There is said to be a €50 million (£43m/$59m) release clause in his contract that can be triggered in the next transfer window.

A return to his roots at Sporting has been mooted, while talkSPORT claim that interest has been shown by teams in Turkey. Others have been quick to talk up the possibility of Ronaldo joining eternal rival Lionel Messi in America - with fellow United legend, Sir David Beckham, helping to call the shots at MLS Cup winners Inter Miami.

No definitive decisions on what happens next have been made, with Ronaldo aware that he needs to get back onto the field and cannot “boycott games indefinitely”. He is determined to help Al-Nassr land major honours, having struggled to deliver tangible success across his spell in the Middle East, while also maintaining remarkable individual standards through to the 2026 World Cup - an event that he is expected to enter as captain of his country.