With the international break over, Cristiano Ronaldo is once again the talk of football fans, with many wondering about his readiness to return to Al-Nassr’s matches after a period of absence due to injury.
The Portuguese legend suffered a hamstring injury during Al-Nassr’s match against Al-Fayha a month ago, which led to his absence from the subsequent matches against Neom and Al-Khaleej. He was also unable to join Portugal’s training camp during the March international break.
Ronaldo has recovered from his injury and is ready to play against Al-Najma
According to Al-Riyadh newspaper, Cristiano Ronaldo has fully recovered from his injury and is now able to participate in Al-Nassr’s matches, starting with the Al-Najma match scheduled for next Friday.
The 40-year-old returned to participate in group training with Jorge Jesus’s squad a few days ago, confirming that the rehabilitation program, which required him to travel to Spain to complete, was completely successful.
Ronaldo’s return to Al-Nassr is of great importance given the fierce competition between the club and Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal for the Saudi Professional League title. Now, the team’s star striker will be ready to support the “Knights of Najd” for the remainder of the season.
Portugal was most affected by Ronaldo’s injury
The Portuguese national team played two friendlies during the international break, drawing 0-0 with Mexico in the opening match at the Azteca Stadium, and then securing a 2-0 victory against the United States on Wednesday morning.
There is no doubt that Ronaldo’s absence significantly impacted Portugal’s performance in both friendlies, a point emphasized by Benfica’s coach and legendary Portuguese manager, José Mourinho.
The Special One commented on the Sailors’ lackluster performance against Mexico, saying, “Take Cristiano Ronaldo out, and Portugal will look like any other ordinary team.”
He added, “When Ronaldo is on the pitch, the opposition thinks twice before attacking or advancing, but without him, they don’t hesitate at all.”
Ronaldo is Portugal’s all-time leading scorer, with 143 goals in 226 international appearances. He led his country to victory in Euro 2016 and also won two UEFA Nations League titles.
Cristiano Ronaldo hopes to lead Portugal to victory in the 2026 World Cup, which he has announced will be his final appearance in the tournament for his country. He has previously participated in five editions, with his best result being a fourth-place finish in Germany in 2006.
Ronaldo this season with Al-Nassr
Ronaldo is Al-Nassr’s top scorer this season across all competitions, having netted 22 goals. Twenty-one of these goals came in the Saudi Professional League, with one in the Saudi Super Cup. He has also played one match in the King’s Cup and one in the AFC Champions League.
With his 21 goals, Ronaldo is third in the Saudi Professional League’s top scorers list, three goals behind Al-Qadisiyah’s Julian Quiñones and four goals behind the league’s leader and top scorer this season, Ivan Toni, who has 25 goals.
It’s worth noting that Al-Nassr leads the Saudi Pro League standings with 67 points after 26 of 34 rounds, three points ahead of their closest rivals, Al-Hilal, while Al-Ahli sits in third place with 62 points.
Al-Nassr will face Al-Najma, the bottom-ranked team in the Saudi Pro League, who have only managed one win in their first 26 matches, accumulating just eight points. They are practically the first team to be relegated to the second division, as they are 14 points away from safety.
