Cristiano Ronaldo recently returned to action after resolving his issues in the Saudi Pro League, and he did so in style by getting back on the scoresheet. However, with Al Nassr set to play a key AFC Champions League Two match on Wednesday, head coach Jorge Jesus has decided the Portuguese forward will sit out the game.
Drawn against FK Arkadag in the Round of 16 of the AFC competition, Al Nassr already traveled to Turkmenistan without Ronaldo for the first leg, which ended in a narrow 1-0 win. At the time, Jesus said the Portuguese star is not usually called up for matches outside Saudi Arabia, explaining his absence.
With the second leg scheduled for Wednesday, February 18, at Al Awwal Park in Saudi Arabia, questions arose about whether the striker would be included. However, as reported by Ali Alabdallh, coach Jorge Jesus ultimately decided to rest Cristiano Ronaldo for the match against Arkadag.
Ronaldo attended Tuesday’s training session, and beforehand the Portuguese coach spoke at a press conference about the star’s situation: “We’re playing a match every three days, and that’s a big physical demand, so we will rotate between the players. Cristiano’s age is different from the rest of the squad, and he has made a big effort in the previous matches. We will decide whether he will participate or not after today’s training session.“
Jorge Jesus, Manager of Al-Nassr, interacts with Cristiano Ronaldo of Al-Nassr.
Ronaldo’s absence brings mixed feelings for the game
Ronaldo missing AFC Champions League Two matches has been common during the 2025-26 season, as the striker has appeared in only one of the seven games between the group stage and the first leg of the Round of 16. That’s largely because the competition ranks behind the club’s priority of winning the Saudi Pro League title.
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Still, the decision for Ronaldo to miss the game is significant, not only for Al Nassr, with the aggregate margin slim, but also for Arkadag, whose players hoped to face him. In the pre-match press conference, head coach Mergen Orazov was asked about the possibility of Ronaldo featuring, and his response was clear: “If he plays, that would be good for the match. He is one of the greatest players in football history and an important figure for many fans.“
What’s next for Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr?
Including Wednesday’s match against Arkadag, this will be the 10th game Ronaldo has missed for Al Nassr across all competitions (two in the Saudi Pro League, seven in the AFC Champions League Two, and one in the Saudi King’s Cup, where he was an unused substitute). Rather than cause concern, Jesus has explained the absences are part of managing minutes for the star, who recently turned 41, as he targets full fitness for the 2026 World Cup.
Since he will sit out this match, Ronaldo is expected to return for Al Nassr’s Saudi Pro League game on Saturday the 21st against Al Hazm. The team currently sits in second place with 52 points, just one behind leaders Al Hilal, making it highly likely the Portuguese star will feature.
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