What happened to Cristiano Ronaldo? Al-Nassr striker absent as season ends without title

Al-Nassr concluded their 2022-23 season on Wednesday with a 3-0 victory against Al Fateh at the KSU Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. While the team finished the season with a tally of 67 points, they missed out on the Saudi Pro League title as Al-Ittihad emerged as the champions with 72 points. However, Cristiano Ronaldo was a notable absentee during Al-Nassr’s final league game of the season.

What happened to Cristiano Ronaldo? Here’s what we know so far

Cristiano Ronaldo made his last appearance for Al-Nassr against Ettifaq FC on May 27. As reported by ESPN, the five-time Ballon d’Or champion missed the Al Fateh match after picking up a muscle injury. The report claims he was rested ahead of Portugal’s fixtures in the  European Championship qualifiers against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iceland in June.

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The Portuguese national joined the Saudi Arabia club on a lucrative two-year deal earlier this year, following his dramatic exit from Manchester United. In his debut season at the Riyadh-based club, Ronaldo scored 14 goals in 16 appearances. He concluded the season as the fifth-highest goal-scorer of the season.

Lionel Messi and Karim Benzema to join Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia?

While the 38-year-old remained absent on Wednesday, Anderson Talisca was handed the striking duties as he went on to score twice. At the same time, he also assisted Mohammed Marwan for a third goal at 72’. Meanwhile, Al-Ittihad had earlier clinched the league championship in the penultimate stage and celebrated their first title win since 2009 with a 2-0 victory over Al-Tai.

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It is worth noting recent media reports claim that Ronaldo can be expected to be joined in Saudi by two of the biggest name in European football, Karim Benzema and Lionel Messi. Reports claim 35-year-old Real Madrid striker and Ronaldo’s former teammate has been offered a mega €400m offer from an unknown Saudi Arabian club. Alongside Benzema, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi has been also offered a mega-money contract from the Gulf country. As per goal, Benzema has reportedly received an offer that will see him earn over €400 million (£346m/$439m) over two seasons. He will be also paid as an ambassador for Saudi Arabia's 2030 World Cup bid.