Cristiano Ronaldo made his return to Al Nassr for Saturday’s match against Al Fateh after sitting out the previous two Saudi Pro League games due to a boycott—and he quickly made an impact by scoring.
Ronaldo was named captain and joined forwards João Félix, Sadio Mané, and Kingsley Coman in the starting lineup, finding the net just 18 minutes into the match.
Al Nassr secured a 2-0 victory against Al Fateh, with Ayman Yahya providing a second goal late in the game.
According to ESPN, Ronaldo missed the matches against Al Ittihad and Al Riyadh earlier this month due to dissatisfaction with the lack of financial backing for the club during the recent transfer window.
Ronaldo expressed his disappointment with the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) for not investing in the team, especially as rivals Al Hilal, also significantly funded by the PIF, successfully acquired his former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema from Al Ittihad.
However, sources informed ESPN earlier this week that Ronaldo decided to return for Saturday’s match after the PIF addressed his main concerns, which included the payment of Al Nassr’s overdue salaries and the restoration of management autonomy to the club’s executives.
In response to his protest, the Saudi Pro League issued a statement reaffirming the independence of clubs to manage their finances as they see fit.
“Cristiano has been fully engaged with Al Nassr since his arrival and has played a crucial role in the club’s growth and ambitions. Like any elite competitor, he is driven to win. However, no individual, regardless of their significance, is responsible for decisions beyond their own club,” the statement said.
Heading into Saturday’s match, Al Nassr held third place in the league standings, four points behind leaders Al Hilal, but with one game in hand.
Ronaldo is in pursuit of Ivan Toney in the goal-scoring race, having netted his 18th goal of the league season. Al Qadsiah’s Julián Quiñones also has 18, while Al Ahli’s Toney leads with 20 goals.