Cristiano Ronaldo Still In Riyadh, Al-Nassr Statement Confirms Amid Madrid Flight Rumours

No, Cristiano Ronaldo has not left Saudi Arabia with his family to land in Madrid. Reports of the Portuguese superstar returning to Spain amid missile strikes targeting the United States embassy in Riyadh stand refuted, as he is currently recuperating at the Al-Nassr training camp.

The rumours erupted as flight tracking data from Flightradar24 showed Ronaldo’s private jet Bombardier Global Express 6500 leaving Riyadh in the night and landing in Madrid at 1am local time. The aircraft flew over Egypt and across the Mediterranean before touching down in Spain. But there was no confirmation of whether whether Ronaldo and his family were aboard the flight.

Subsequently, a statement from Al-Nassr clarified the matter, and reputed journalist Fabrizio Romano also refuted the rumours. The Saudi Pro League club stated that Ronaldo had sustained a hamstring injury during the team's 3-1 win over Al-Fayha.

“He started a rehabilitation program and will be under evaluation day by day,” Al-Nassr said. The club did not specify if it was a strain or tear, and coach Jorge Jesus had suggested after the game it was “muscle fatigue.”

In photos published on Al Nassr's social media channels, Ronaldo was seen training with weights in the team gym. Thus, there was no question of him having left from Riyadh.

Ronaldo bought the 81 million US-dollar Bombardier plane in 2024, having earlier owned a Gulfstream G200. Currently, all commercial flights are grounded in the Middle East amid the ongoing Israel-USA-Iran conflict.

The 41-year-old forward has lived in Riyadh with his partner, Georgina Rodriguez, and his five children since signing with Al-Nassr in December 2022. He is likely to miss his side’s postponed AFC Champions League Two quarter-final match against Al Wasl owing to the injury.