Contrary to initial reports, Cristiano Ronaldo has not left Saudi Arabia. It was initially thought that Ronaldo had left the country in his private jet due to the conflict in the Middle East, between Iran and Israel, which hit Saudi Arabia when the US embassy was attacked in Riyadh on Tuesday morning. However, AS has confirmed that Ronaldo remains in Riyadh, where he is recovering from a knee tendon injury.
Unlike other countries like Qatar, which cancelled all football games until further notice , the Saudi Pro League has not stopped due to the conflict. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) did pause the continental competitions like AFC Champions League or the second-tier AFC Cup, in which Ronaldo's team Al-Nassr plays this season.
According to AS, the pause of the AFC Cup and the potential pause of the Saudi Pro League means that Cristiano Ronaldo may not make it into World Cup 2026 in his best physical shape. However, the Saudi Pro League, currently in matchday 25 out of 34, has not stopped, and Al-Nassr, leading the table two points ahead of Al-Ahli and three ahead of Al-Hilal, is scheduled to play on Saturday, although Ronaldo will not be in the team due to his knee injury.