The Al-Nassr skipper, Christiano Ronaldo, has been on strike since early this month. He has been stepping away from games and training sessions to express his frustrations with his club’s transfer decisions and the influence that the Saudi Public Investment Fund had on these decisions.
As a football icon and a role model to a lot of athletes, he was generally criticized by the masses and was eventually tagged as “arrogant”. These protests did no good in changing the superstar’s stance.
He stayed away for about three consecutive weeks from professional football, only to return last weekend to feature in Al-Nassr’s away match at Al-Hofuf, scoring a magnificent screamer from the edge of the box!
During his absence, Al-Nassr was struggling to find the back of the net as they usually do, scoring just four goals from their previous three matches. This is a decline in the number of goals they are capable of scoring from consecutive football games.
Before Ronaldo’s absence, Al-Nassr has scored ten goals from their last four matches with their star-man leading their attack. During his absence, their goal ratio decreased significantly. Ronaldo’s issue with the club’s management was reported to have nearly led to his exit. However, after further protests, the matter has been peacefully resolved and he came back to claim his captain;s armband and continue his scoring spree.
At age 41, an age when most footballers retire, Ronaldo continues to defy time and remains an influential figure on and off the pitch. He continues to be praised by his fans, teammates and managers for his consistency, reputation, and skills. For 22 consecutive years, Ronaldo has remained a regular call-up for Portugal whenever fit and available. Despite changes in the coaching staff of Portugal, Ronaldo is the first name to appear in each list excep on occasions when he has been suspended.
Now with the 2026 World Cup at hand, Ronaldo is looking forward to probably playing his last international competition before hanging his boots. During his 23 years on the field, he is yet to win a World Cup. Portugal is widely regarded as a strong contender to win the competition and if it does come to pass, it will be a very remarkable way for Ronaldo to retire as a world cup champion.