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Al Nassr honored Saturday evening's thrilling and tight 1–0 victory over NEOM to Cristiano Ronaldo as he remains sidelined with injury.
Ronaldo has temporarily moved to Spain for rehabilitation on a hamstring issue with his personal physiotherapist. Sustained during the prior Saudi Pro League fixture against Al Fayha on Feb. 28, the setback was characterized by Al Nassr coach Jorge Jesus as "more severe" than originally anticipated.
Hours before the NEOM clash, Ronaldo shared on X: "Healing and prepared to watch today's match. Come on, Al Nassr!" with a cheerful photo. His left leg was clearly wrapped in a compression sleeve, which likely wasn't coincidental given it's his personal brand.
Following their three-point haul from the contest, Al Nassr's X profile quoted the initial post and displayed an image of the squad celebrating their triumph, with the caption: "This victory for you, Cristiano."
This win for you, @Cristiano! 🙌💛 https://t.co/7hFZq29OKC pic.twitter.com/1LPt1Feetk
The outcome, sealed by center back Mohamed Simakan late in added time, marked an 11th consecutive Saudi Pro League victory (13 across all tournaments) for Al Nassr since ending a three-match losing run in mid-January. They lead the table with nine games remaining, two points clear of Al Ahli who have won 14 of their last 15. Al Hilal trail by another point.
When Will Cristiano Ronaldo Return From Injury?
When Will Cristiano Ronaldo Return From Injury?
No official timeframe exists for Ronaldo's comeback to action, but the 41-year-old's rehabilitation is projected to span up to four weeks after a briefer absence was initially anticipated.
This suggests he'll likely miss all of March. That actually means just one additional Saudi Pro League fixture—versus Al Khaleej next weekend—thanks to the convenient timing of the March international window. However, Ronaldo will also skip Portugal's two planned friendlies against Mexico and the United States in Mexico City and Atlanta respectively.
Notably, Ronaldo hasn't sat out a complete international break since 2018.
His potential return match could be Al Nassr's home encounter against bottom-placed SPL side Al Najma on April 3.
Glory Beckons for Al Nassr, But Ronaldo Crown Slipping
Glory Beckons for Al Nassr, But Ronaldo Crown Slipping
Should Al Nassr maintain composure, 2025–26 might bring the Saudi Pro League championship that Ronaldo desires and the club hasn't secured for seven years since 2018–19. Upcoming matches against Al Ahli (April 27) and Al Hilal (May 6), both at home, could prove pivotal.
Al Nassr's potential season-ending championship becomes more remarkable considering Ronaldo's league future was questioned following his outburst—and brief boycott—over limited January transfer window activity compared to competing teams.
However, Ronaldo's personal standing as Saudi Arabia's leading scorer faces genuine danger. The Portuguese superstar has topped the scoring charts in both his previous complete seasons (35 in 2023–24, 25 in 2024–25), but currently sits behind Al Ahli and England forward Ivan Toney in 2025–26.
Toney, who ended two goals short of Ronaldo last season, holds 24 compared to Ronaldo's 21 at this point in the campaign. The ex-Brentford striker has never claimed top scorer honors in a premier league previously, only leading in the EFL Championship during 2020–21 and EFL League One in 2019–20.