Ronaldo Absent Again as Al Nassr Slip Out of AFC Champions League Contention

As Al Nassr fight for a place in next season’s AFC Champions League, battling for second or third place, Cristiano Ronaldo is nowhere to be seen. Left out of the squad for the second consecutive match, his absence is as loud as the silence from the club explaining it.

Today, Al Nassr dropped points against mid-table Al-Taawoun — a costly draw that all but ends their continental hopes. And yet, Ronaldo remains out of the picture. No injury officially confirmed. No club statement. Just… gone. Meanwhile, players like Sadio Mané, Marcelo Brozović, and Otávio are still on the pitch, pushing through a fruitless season with professionalism.

So why is Ronaldo the only one allowed to vanish when things get tough?

Let’s be honest:

• He didn’t win the Saudi Pro League.
• He didn’t win the AFC Champions League.
• He didn’t win the King’s Cup.

But he did secure the highest salary in football history — and apparently, the freedom to opt out whenever he wants. No questions asked.

This isn’t rest after a hard-fought title. This isn’t recovery after a heroic season. This is just indifference — at a time when the club still had something to fight for.

So what exactly is Al Nassr paying for?

The brand? The Instagram followers? The illusion that Ronaldo alone is the project?

If the club truly wants to win, not just play host to a global celebrity, then someone has to say it: this isn’t how a serious team is run. In any competitive football project, this kind of behavior would raise serious conversations. At Al Nassr — silence. Total carte blanche.

And that might be the clearest symbol of Al Nassr’s failure this season. Not the lack of trophies — but the lack of principles.

Published by Patrick Jane
16.05.2025