Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly on strike at Al-Nassr amid club spending dispute

Despite being the highest-paid footballer in history with a contract reportedly worth £488,000 per day, Ronaldo is reportedly unhappy with the PIF's financial management of Al-Nassr, especially when compared to rival clubs.

The Saudi Pro League giants are scheduled to face local rivals Al-Riyadh on Monday, but they may have to do so without their captain. 

Ronaldo has been in fine form this season, scoring 18 goals in 22 appearances across all competitions.

The superstar is said to be in a dispute over what he perceives as a lack of investment from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Portuguese newspaper A Bola cited a club source who claimed Ronaldo is frustrated with the PIF's handling of Al-Nassr's finances. 

The PIF, which owns a 75 percent stake in four major Saudi clubs—Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Ahli—has been instrumental in attracting top global talent to the league.

Following Ronaldo's landmark move to Riyadh in 2023, a wave of stars, including Karim Benzema, Riyad Mahrez, and Kalidou Koulibaly, joined Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, and Al-Hilal, respectively, on massive contracts.

While all four PIF-backed clubs have continued to strengthen their squads, Ronaldo, who has yet to win a domestic trophy with Al-Nassr, believes his team has been unfairly treated in the transfer market.

He claims that manager Jorge Jesus has not been provided with the same level of reinforcements as their rivals.

The Portuguese icon scored his 961st career goal in Al-Nassr's 3-0 victory over Al-Kholood last Friday.