Cristiano Ronaldo to leave Saudi Arabia after an injury ‘is found to be more serious than expected’ – just as missiles are fired towards Riyadh
Cristiano Ronaldo is set to leave Saudi Arabia again amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East – but with an injury, according to his manager.
The 41-year-old’s whereabouts had been questioned after his £61million private jet left the country in the middle of the night on Monday. However, it was later confirmed that he was still in Saudi Arabia after being photographed with his team-mates.
The forward has been battling a hamstring injury following Al-Nassr’s 3-1 win over Al-Fayha on Saturday and there are now fears over how serious the muscle problem could be, with the World Cup fast approaching. He earns an astronomical £488,000-a-day with the Saudi Pro League side.
‘After tests, we see the injury suffered by Cristiano Ronaldo was more serious than expected,’ Al-Nassr manager Jorge Jesus said on Friday. ‘Cristiano will now travel to Spain, like other players who went for treatment when they were injured.
‘His injury required treatment in Madrid with his personal therapist, and we hope he returns quickly and helps the team’.
Riyadh, where Ronaldo lives with partner Georgina Rodriguez and his five children, has been targeted by Iran in retaliation for the wave of attacks by the US and Israel that began on Saturday.
Cristiano Ronaldo is set to leave Saudi Arabia due to injury as the country is targeted with missiles by Iran
Ronaldo lives with partner Georgina Rodriguez and his five children in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
The US embassy in the Saudi capital was hit by two drones overnight on Monday, and Iranian state media claimed a command and staff building in Bahrain had also been destroyed.
On Friday, meanwhile, Saudi Arabia said it had destroyed three drones east of Riyadh as Iran pressed on with attacks across the Gulf.
The latest update as of Friday midday, meanwhile, is that Israeli Defence Forces have obliterated Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei’s underground bunker in a massive airstrike over Tehran.
Foreign nationals are fleeing the Middle East in their droves and details of Ronaldo’s jet travelling to Madrid emerged online.
A flight tracker showed the Bombardier Global Express plane made the almost seven-hour journey to the Spanish capital.
The luxury private jet departed at 8pm Saudi time and arrived at almost 1am Spanish time.
Flightradar24 shows the path Ronaldo’s jet took, flying over Egypt and the Mediterranean before arriving in Spain.
The US State Department had urged Americans to leave more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries due to safety risks.
The 41-year-old’s private jet left Saudi Arabia and went to Madrid on Monday overnight, but he remained in the Middle East
Rodriguez shared the above image last week on the private jet during a trip to Milan
In 2024, Ronaldo sold the Gulfstream G200 that he purchased for £16m in 2015 and splashed out on a new Bombardier Global Express 6500 jet worth an eye-popping £61m.
The all-black model has the capacity for up to 15 passengers, and features a number of different rooms, including a seating area with tables and sofas, a suite with a double bed, and a separate shower area.
