Cristiano Ronaldo to Miss Al-Nassr’s Season Start

Cristiano Ronaldo will not be on the pitch when Al-Nassr launch their title defence. He will not even be in the squad.

According to Saudi newspaper Al-Yaum, the Portuguese star is set to miss Al-Nassr’s first two competitive games of the 2026–2027 campaign, sitting out the Roshn League opener against Al-Fateh and the King’s Cup round-of-32 clash with Al-Diriyah.

The reason is off the field, not on it. Ronaldo has tied the knot with long-time partner Georgina Rodriguez, with the wedding taking place on Saturday. The ceremony and its aftermath will delay his return to club duty.

A Long Absence Grows Longer

Ronaldo has not featured for Al-Nassr since Portugal’s 2026 World Cup run ended on 6 July in the United States, Canada and Mexico, when Spain knocked them out in the round of 16 with a single goal.

From that point, the clock started ticking.

Players are granted a 21-day legal rest period after World Cup elimination. By that measure, Al-Nassr expected their captain to report back once that window closed. He did not. The team flew out for a foreign training camp; Ronaldo stayed away. The camp ended last Wednesday. Still no sign of him.

Al-Nassr staged preparations across three cities – Riyadh, Abha and Lisbon – in a bid to sharpen fitness and rhythm before the new season. Ronaldo missed every session in all three locations. His absence has now stretched to 32 days, a sizeable gap for a player who normally treats pre-season like a personal crusade.

Key Matches Without Their Leader

The timing is awkward for a club with big ambitions.

Al-Nassr open their Roshn League campaign next Saturday against Al-Fateh, a fixture that will set the tone for a season in which they are chasing back-to-back Saudi League titles after finally ending a seven-year drought last term. Three days later comes the King’s Cup tie against Al-Diriyah in the round of 32, a potential banana skin in a competition the club also covet.

Both matches will go ahead without the man who transformed their profile and their attack. Someone else will have to carry the goals, the responsibility, the spotlight.

Big Targets, Bigger Expectations

This season is not only about domestic dominance. Al-Nassr also have their eyes on the AFC Champions League Elite, a trophy they have never lifted. With Ronaldo at the spearhead, the club see a window to make continental history.

For now, though, the project starts with a conspicuous gap in the team sheet and a captain still easing back from a World Cup summer and a landmark moment in his personal life.

Al-Nassr know Ronaldo will return. The real question is how quickly he can turn from newlywed to match-winner once the whistle blows on a season that demands everything from him.