Cristiano Ronaldo On Strike: Simone Inzaghi Dragged Into Spat Over Al Nassr Spending
Inzaghi has steered Al Hilal to the top of the Saudi Pro League.
Simone Inzaghi has been dragged into a spat after Cristiano Ronaldo went on strike at Al Nassr.
Why Cristiano Ronaldo Is On Al Nassr Strike
Ronaldo will not take part in his club’s Saudi Pro League showdown against Al Riyadh on Monday afternoon.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner takes home almost £500,000 per day, making him the highest-paid player in history. But he remains as competitive as ever despite reaching 40.
However, according to reports in his native Portugal, the superstar is unhappy with how Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is managing Al Nassr’s finances.
PIF hold a 75 per cent stake in four clubs, with Al Hilal, Al Ittihad and Al Ahli also part of their lucrative stable.
Ronaldo became a trailblazer for football in the Gulf state after moving in the 2023 winter transfer window. This tempted the likes of Joao Felix, Sadio Mane and Kingsley Coman to join him at Al Nassr.
But he has become disgruntled with how little his club have invested in new signings in comparison to their rivals.
Al Nassr have recruited just one player to date, bringing in Haydeer Abdulkareem ahead of the deadline.
Ronaldo has scored 18 goals in 22 appearances across all competitions this season.
Last month, Juventus lost an appeal to recover almost €10million after a court ruled them to pay back half of what they owed to Ronaldo in unpaid wages. They were also ordered to cover the associated legal costs.
🚨⚠️ Cristiano Ronaldo will not feature in tomorrow’s match between Al Nassr and Al Riyadh.
His absence is not related to any physical issue nor to workload or fitness management. pic.twitter.com/k5TvpMquBR
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 1, 2026
How Simone Inzaghi Is Involved
On the other hand, Saudi Pro League table toppers Al Hilal have spent almost £40m on five new players.
French talent Kader Meite joined from Rennes in a £26m deal, while former Arsenal centre-back Pablo Mari arrived from Fiorentina. Another £26m will also be splashed out to sign Saimon Bouabre from Neom.
Simone Inzaghi is in charge of the Middle Eastern heavyweights, having put pen to paper just one day after leaving Inter Milan by mutual consent following their Champions League final defeat by PSG in June 2025.
Inzaghi hit back at criticism he received for making the switch and has since earned plaudits for his work.
After steering his side top of the pile, they now hold a three-point advantage over Al Nassr.
Inzaghi, 49, agreed a two-year deal to succeed Jorge Jesus, who was sacked last May despite winning the Saudi Pro League title in 2023-24. Italian media reported his contract was worth up to £25.3m per season.
Dan Davis
Dan is an experienced sports journalist and part-time lecturer. An expert on Serie A and Italian football, he has produced content for the likes of the Daily Mail, Reach PLC, GiveMeSport, FourFourTwo and GRV Media. While Channel 4's iconic Football Italia was a bit before his time, the nostalgia - and pastries - fuelled his love of all things Calcio.
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