Will Cristiano Ronaldo play for Al-Nassr against Almeria? Report provides update
As per reports, Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo won't feature in the friendly against Segunda Division side Almeria in a friendly on Thursday (August 8). Ronaldo has only returned to club training recently after his involvement at Euro 2024.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner endured a rare goalless campaign - drawing blanks in five games - as A Selecao lost 5-3 on penalties to France in the quarter-final following a goalless 120 minutes.
Ronaldo did carve out a few records during the competition but failed to become the oldest player to score in the Euros or the first to score in six different editions as he failed to add to his lone European Championship win in 2016.
Less than a month later, Ronaldo is back in club football, but as per Sport360Saudi (as per Al Nassr Zone), Al-Alami boss Luis Castro is not going to play the Portugal captain as well as Aymeric Laporte against Almeria.
It's pertinent to note that the Knights of Najd fell to a 1-0 friendly defeat to Granada on Sunday (August 4) at the Estadio Municipal Ciudad de La Linea in Cadiz. Boye scored the game's only goal in the closing moments of the first half.
What Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo said after breaking the Saudi Pro League scoring record?
Cristiano Ronaldo enjoyed a fabulous first full season with Al-Nassr - whom he joined in December 2022 on a free transfer after nearly two decades in European football.
In 45 games across competitions, the 39-year-old bagged a rich haul of 44 goals and 13 assists. That includes 35 goals and 11 assists in 31 outings in the Saudi Pro League - where Luis Castro's side finished second for the second straight season.
Although he would endure a second straight trophyless campaign with his current side, Ronaldo broke the record for most goals in a Saudi Pro League campaign. On scaling another landmark in his illustrious career, Ronaldo simply said (as per BBC):
"I don’t follow the records, the records follow me."
Interestingly, the previous mark of 34 was set by Abderrrazak Hamdallah in the 2018-19 season - also for Al-Nassr. Meanwhile, Ronaldo is set to make his season debut in the Saudi Super Cup semi-final with Al-Taawoun on August 14.