‘Self indulgent nonsense’ – £488k-a-day Cristiano Ronaldo slammed for going on strike at Al Nassr

Cristiano Ronaldo has no reason to be disillusioned at Al Nassr – going on strike has shown he is nothing but self-indulgent.

Those are the views of ex-Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy and talkSPORT co-host Jim White, who have lambasted the 40-year-old for throwing his toys out of the pram.

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News broke on Monday that the Manchester United legend had gone on strike in the Middle East in protest against Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund [PIF].

Al Nassr are one of the four clubs alongside Al Hilal, Al Ittihad and Al Ahli that PIF have a 75 per cent stake in.

But Ronaldo has become disgruntled that Al Nassr haven’t been backed in the January window as he chases a first Saudi Pro League title in his fourth season at the club.

That is despite Al Nassr spending around £90million last summer to bring in Joao Felix, Mohamed Simakan and Kingsey Coman.

Their inactivity in 2026 led Ronaldo, who is pocketing an eye-watering £487,671 per day, to make himself unavailable for his side’s 1-0 win over Al Riyadh on Monday.

Ronaldo followed in the footsteps of former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema, who went on strike at Al Ittihad – missing two games – and ultimately sealed a switch to league leaders Al Hilal.

And to make matters worse for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, Al Hilal, who sit three points above Al Nassr, also strengthened by bringing in Kader Meite, Pablo Mari and Saimon Bouabre.

All gone Ron

talkSPORT’s Saudi Correspondent Ben Jacobs has provided the lowdown on Ronaldo’s dissatisfaction, with the player expected to be fined and punished.

Explaining why the five-time Champions League winner has gone on strike, Jacobs remarked: “Cristiano Ronalso is upset with the PIF strategy in particular.

“And made a statement by not making himself available for Al Nassr’s win over Al Riyadh earlier.

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“Now some in Saudi allege that Ronaldo didn’t want Karim Benzema, former teammate, to go to Al Hilal.

“And instead felt it would be better for Saudi football for him to stay at Al Ittihad, or even join Al Nassr.

“Others say that this is a problem about central funding and how it is allocated specifically.

“So Ronaldo’s point, and Al Nassr’s fans have been protesting as well, is why Al Hilal were given so much money to spent before the Club World Cup when Al Nassr’s portion of the pie was a little bit smaller.

“But what’s interesting, is whether it’s Benzema specific, or whether there is a broader disagreement over strategy and ultimately funding, Ronaldo hasn’t been backed.

“He’s expected to be fined, he’s likely to be punished for not making himself available for selection.”

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Giving his immediate reaction, Murphy said: “Maybe Ronaldo could give some of his earnings to the club to then help them get more players.

“I’ve never heard of something so ridiculous in all my life, self-indulgent nonsense.”

Having his say, co-host Jim White then stated: “It is absolutely bizarre when you consider the earning capacity of Cristiano and Benzema.

“For either of them to be disillusioned, upset about the way their clubs are run, to put it mildly, is almost unthinkable.”

It remains to be seen whether Ronaldo will be involved in Al Nassr’s upcoming clash against Al Ittihad on Friday.

He is tied down at the club until 2027 in his quest to reach 1,000 career goals, with the Portugal icon currently on 961 strikes – 18 of which have come this season for Al Nassr.