Cristiano Ronaldo has been left out of Al Nassr's travelling party for a third successive fixture. Adding to his frustration, PIF-backed rivals Al Hilal secured the signature of Karim Benzema from Al Ittihad during the same period. The French striker previously played alongside Ronaldo at Real Madrid. Cristiano Ronaldo has been left out of Al Nassr's travelling party for a third successive fixture | REUTERSThe sovereign wealth fund holds a 75 per cent majority stake in Al Hilal, creating an awkward dynamic given their apparent willingness to invest in that club while Al Nassr's requests went unmet. Whilst Al Nassr's sole January acquisition was a youth player named Haydeer Abdulkareem, their championship rivals Al Hilal embarked on a substantial spending spree.

Source: BBC February 11, 2026 21:09 UTC