Why Ronaldo Was Absent: The Cryptic Answer Behind Al Nassr's Riyadh Showdown

What happened to Ronaldo?

The Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was left out of Al Nassr's squad for the Saudi Pro League clash with Riyadh, staged at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium in Riyadh.

Al Nassr's chief executive Jose Semedo offered a cryptic reply when asked about Ronaldo's absence, saying he had no answer and could not discuss the matter further.

A reporter covering the league reached out to Semedo to learn the reason for Ronaldo's absence, but the official insisted he could not comment on the issue.

Speculation swirled that Ronaldo's absence was linked to the January transfer window, with some reports suggesting no big signings were forthcoming for the club this month.

Al Nassr had only announced the signing of Iraqi midfielder Haider Abdul Karim, leaving Ronaldo's plans for the season still unclear.

Punchline: If Ronaldo can vanish from a starting lineup, even the calendar might need a halftime whistle to find him.

Punchline 2: In this league, the ball is the real magician—it keeps finding the net, even when Ronaldo's schedule says how about a raincheck.