No Kneeling in the Kingdom: Walid Al-Farraj fires a blistering message at Cristiano Ronaldo

The Saudi Pro League Standoff: Ronaldo Under Fire

In Saudi Arabia, media figure Walid Al-Farraj continues to sharpen his critique of Cristiano Ronaldo, the Al Nassr captain, in the wake of Ronaldo's latest clash with the league's winter transfer support mechanisms.

On his popular show Action with Walid on MBC Action, Al-Farraj delivered direct, pointed messages to Ronaldo, underscoring that the league's prestige cannot be bargained away under any circumstances.

Ronaldo had refused to participate in several matches as a protest against the mechanisms of club support, following the termination of Karim Benzema's contract with Al-Ittihad and his move to Al-Hilal, a move that sparked debate in the Saudi sports world.

Despite Ronaldo's absence, Al Nassr beat Al Ittihad 2-0 at Al Nassr Park in the 21st round of the Roshen (Saudi Pro League). The team now has 49 points, one behind the leaders Al Hilal.

Al-Farraj has previously discussed Ronaldo's frustration, noting connections to Benzema's move and suggesting that some observers view Hilal as receiving greater support. He argued that the root cause lies in Al Nassr's performances relative to others since the Public Investment Fund began owning the four main clubs.

In his numerical comparison, Al-Farraj highlighted that Hilal has won the league and cup once, plus two Super Cups, while Al Ittihad clinched league and cup titles in the previous season, and Al Ahli won the AFC Champions League for elite clubs along with a Super Cup. By contrast, Al Nassr has only won the 2023 Arab Club Championship and finished second in the league and the King’s Cup in 2024.

He concluded that these results explain Ronaldo's frustration: a global star in Saudi Arabia who came as an ambassador for a grand project but appears to juggle ambassadorial duties with management expectations. The winter transfer activity and Benzema’s move were cited as the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Beyond the numbers, the clash sketches a broader narrative about Ronaldo’s status, the distribution of club support, and the shifting balance of power as Saudi football bets bigger on its league’s expansion and ambitions.

Punchline coming: If Ronaldo’s ego were a transfer fee, the club would never console itself with a balance sheet—only a bigger trophy case would do. And if drama were a sponsorship, this season would be sponsored by a stadium full of rumor-mongers. Finally, in football as in life, sometimes the ball just wants to travel first class—straight to the back of the net and then to the coffee break for a well-deserved selfie.