Why Cristiano Ronaldo did not play in Al Nassr finale: Injury ends CR7's first season in Saudi Arabia

Al Nassr played their final match of the 2022/23 Saudi Pro League season on May 31, but they did it without their biggest start after Cristiano Ronaldo missed the match due to injury.

When the Al Nassr lineup was published ahead of the Matchday 30 finale against Al Fateh, Ronaldo's name was not on the team sheet and reports indicate that it was due to an injury picked up on Saturday that impacted his availability.

Ronaldo was substituted in the 84th minute of the May 27 match at Al Ettifaq with the score still at 1-1. But the Saudi title had already been lost with leaders Al Ittihad running rampant in their match played at the same time. Their victory clinched the title with Al Nassr three points behind.

Before that substitution, Ronaldo had played the 90 minutes of all 16 Saudi Pro league matches for which he was eligible. (He had to sit out the first two games due to a suspension that carried over from his time in England when he smacked the phone out of the hands of a fan at Goodison Park.)

It was reported that he missed training earlier in the week and his participation in the final match of the season was always in doubt, especially with international matches coming up with Portugal in June. There was no reason to incur further risk in a meaningless season finale.

Will Ronaldo play for Portugal in June?

An official injury diagnosis has not been released, except for reports from Saudi Arabia calling it a muscle injury, but Ronaldo was still called up to join Portugal for Euro 2024 qualifiers.

The June 2023 international window will see Portugal host Bosnia and Herzegovina (June 17) and travel to face Iceland (June 20).

🚨 | Portugal squad for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifying matches against Iceland and Bosnia & Herzegovina. pic.twitter.com/U5vqu9O4Qb

— Próxima Jornada (@ProximaJornada1) May 29, 2023

When does Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr contract end?

Ronaldo made headlines around the world when he left Manchester United and the Premier League to join Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia for the richest contract in pro sports history.

According to multiple reports, Ronaldo is being paid around $213 million a year as part of a contract which ran two-and-a-half years through June 2025.

When does Saudi Pro League 2023/24 season start?

The 2022/23 Saudi Pro League season kicked off on August 25, 2022 and ran through May 31, 2023, and the 2023/24 campaign will follow a similar format. 

Some outlets have the new Saudi Pro League campaign commencing on August 11, 2023 though the calendar of matches has not been published. 

The 2023/24 season will begin with the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup with the group stage and knockouts happening in July-August 2023. The final of the competition is slated for August 5, 2023.

MORE: Saudi Pro League table 2022/23

How many goals did Cristiano Ronaldo score for Al Nassr?

Ronaldo's first season in Saudi Arabia ended with 14 goals in 19 matches in all competitions. 

Here's the rundown of his 2022/23 season in which he joined midway through, but he could not help his team hoist any silverware.

MORE: Where Ronaldo finished in the Saudi Arabia top scorer rankings