Hours after the winter transfer window closed, the main topic of conversation is where Cristiano Ronaldo's future lies.
The Portuguese superstar sat out Al Nassr's 1-0 win over Al Riyadh in the Saudi Pro League on Monday as news filtered through that Al Hilal had pulled off a shock move to sign Karim Benzema from Al Ittihad.
According to reports in his homeland, Ronaldo is unhappy that the PIF, the Saudi sovereign wealth fund that majority owns Nassr, Ittihad, Al Ahli and Hilal, are putting more resources into the latter to ensure they win the Saudi Pro League title ahead of his own club.
Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo was absent from the matchday squad against Riyadh as Sadio Mane's goal cut Hilal's lead at the top of the Saudi Pro League down to one point.
Ronaldo is said to feel slighted by the PIF's perceived backing of Hilal. The 40-year-old is yet to win the Saudi Pro League or any other major domestic honour since signing for Nassr at the end of 2022 in a move that shifted the axis of world football.
Ronaldo's influence
While trophies are lacking, eyeballs and focus on the league are not. Ronaldo's eye-bulging wages, comfortably making him the highest-paid footballer in history, were a trade-off that the league calculated was worth making.
Officials have claimed that league revenues – especially broadcast revenues – have surged by about 650 per cent since Ronaldo’s arrival in late 2022, largely driven by increased international attention and broadcast distribution.
While the league has flourished, Nassr have been the main beneficiaries. According to the latest figures, the club generated $110 million in sponsorship revenue in the 2024/25 season alone, a club record. The Riyadh giants now have 62 million followers across social media platforms, compared to just over a million before Ronaldo signed.
His signing on a free transfer after his contract at Manchester United was terminated paved the way for a host of high-profile players – including Benzema – to follow Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia.
Behind the scenes
Whether the reaction to Ronaldo missing one match is being blown out of proportion or not, it does feed into the narrative that Ronaldo's sense of entitlement and his hold over the club and the league as a whole has become outsized.
Critics have pointed to his close ties with club chief executive Jose Semedo as Ronaldo's way of influencing transfer policy. Jhon Duran, signed for a club record $75 million last year from Aston Villa, has been loaned out to Fenerbahce amid reports that Ronaldo did not feel the Colombian was up to scratch. Kingsley Coman and Joao Felix, Ronaldo's international teammate, were brought in last summer.
Ronaldo's relationship with Nassr coach Jorge Jesus is characterised by suggestions that the star striker can easily manipulate team selection. Whether that is the case, the fact remains that Ronaldo, with his wealth of experience and prolific goalscoring, still represents Nassr's best chance of ending a seven-year wait for a league title.
Could Ronaldo remain at Nassr?
There is every chance Ronaldo will remain with his current club. While news organisations across Europe are reporting that the player has “gone on strike” and is refusing to play, neither club nor player are likely to present it in those terms.
There has been no official statement from Nassr or Ronaldo to account for his absence against Riyadh, with Semedo telling reporters before the match that he couldn't comment on whether the player was injured.
Ronaldo's grievance about Hilal bolstering their ranks by adding Benzema to an already formidable frontline may be just that. Only one point separates the two teams, down from seven points less than a month ago when Hilal defeated Nassr 3-1.
Ronaldo's 17 league goals are bettered only by Al Ahli's Ivan Toney (18) and is nine more than Benzema has managed in the league so far for his previous club, Al Ittihad.
With Mane back from Africa Cup of Nations duty, Nassr are riding a five-game win streak while Hilal have stumbled to three consecutive draws to blow the title race wide open. Third-placed Al Ahli are two points behind Nassr and three behind Hilal following Monday's 0-0 draw against the Saudi league leaders.
Potential destinations
Ronaldo's contract with Nassr expires in 2027 but is said to contain a release clause allowing him to leave this summer for close to $60m.
With the World Cup in North America just a few months away, Ronaldo may choose to stick around and join his great adversary, Lionel Messi, in Major League Soccer. The Argentine, an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, recently led Inter Miami to their first MLS Cup title.
A return to Europe is an option, although Ronaldo's wage demands would seem to prohibit many clubs on that continent. Joining a rival Saudi Pro League club, perhaps one within the PIF's purview, could also materialise if this row blows over.
Whatever his woes, Ronaldo is still a goal guarantor. Closing in on a barely believable 1,000 goals in senior football (he currently has 961), the former Real Madrid and Juventus star will not be short of suitors should he bring his Saudi sojourn to an end.
