Inside Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr crisis: Big-name team-mates want out, right-hand man Ricky Regufe can’t build a champion team… and results are hurting the £175m-a-year star

When Cristiano Ronaldo prodded home the opener in the Saudi Super Cup final on Saturday, wheeling away to the corner flag to perform his signature celebration, he must have felt he was on course to lift his second trophy with Al-Nassr.

But fast forward an hour and Ronaldo’s hopes of silverware were in tatters. Al-Hilal put his side to the sword with a ruthless second half performance, consigning Al-Nassr to a woeful 4-1 defeat ahead of the new Saudi Pro League campaign.

Ronaldo’s reaction to his team-mates after the fourth and final goal painted a picture. As the ball hit the back of the net and was sent back towards him on the centre circle, the 39-year-old superstar ridiculed his team-mates with a gesture suggesting they had fallen asleep, almost refusing to shoulder any responsibility for the disappointing defeat himself.

Despite blazing the trail for superstars to ditch Europe and move to Saudi Arabia on lucrative contracts, with his unprecedented £175million per year deal in January 2023 still the highest in football history, his time in Riyadh has not brought about as much success as he would have hoped.

Winning the Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023 is the only honour Ronaldo has been able to add to his impressive portfolio of silverware in recent years, and the unrest currently surrounding Al-Nassr suggests he wouldn’t be lifting more anytime soon.

The Portuguese superstar fumed at his team-mates before refusing to collect his silver medal following Al-Nassr’s dismal 4-1 defeat by Al-Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup final on Saturday 

According to reports in Spain, Ronaldo is not taking criticism well at the Saudi Pro League club

According to Spanish outlet Marca, a key issue is that the Portuguese veteran does not take criticism well at Al-Nassr, whether it be via his team-mates, head coach Luis Castro or sporting director Fernando Hierro.

But perhaps a more of a glaring issue, given that Ronaldo turns 40 in February and can understandably no longer win matches on his own, is that several of his high-profile team-mates are looking for the exit door.

Sadio Mane was supposed to share the goal-scoring responsibility with Ronaldo after his switch from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023, but the Senegalese star has not lived up to expectations and could be on his way out ahead of the new season.

Meanwhile, Aymeric Laporte — who with Mane cost Al-Nassr north of £50m combined — has been flirting with a move to Real Madrid after lacking silverware since his exit from serial Premier League champions Manchester City. 

Ricardo Regufe, Ronaldo’s trusted right-hand man tasked with building a champion team around him, is failing to convince high-profile players to join the Portuguese while Al-Nassr struggle to keep current ones on their books. 

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has reportedly turned off the splurge of financial support it initially offered when Ronaldo first moved to the club, and now all operations must be approved by it. 

Ricardo Regufe, left, is Ronaldo’s right-hand man tasked with building a champion team

Regufe has been a close associate of the former Man United and Real Madrid star since 2018 

Sadio Mane (left) and Aymeric Laporte (right) may be on their way out of Al-Nassr this summer

While Ronaldo’s contractual wishes are likely still to be met by the club, other big-name players may feel uneasy about Al-Nassr’s changing financial situation, especially as most are entering the swansong seasons of their respective careers.

For now, it is believed Ronaldo is fully committed to the Al-Nassr project, even if results and a lack of trophies are hurting him.