Cristiano Ronaldo could return from injury as Al Nassr reportedly arrange friendly during FIFA break
Cristiano Ronaldo ended up missing Portugal’s upcoming friendlies in North America due to injury problems that have lingered since late February. Now set to remain in Saudi Arabia to complete his recovery, the star striker could be in line for a return to the pitch, with Al Nassr having reportedly arranged a friendly during the FIFA break.
As reported by Ali Alabdallh, Al Nassr will face Al Anwar in a friendly match on Friday, March 27, in Riyadh. The club moved quickly after Jorge Jesus reportedly asked the front office to arrange a friendly so that players left off their respective national team rosters would not lose fitness during the break.
The game will be played just one day before Portugal visits Mexico to face El Tri at the Estadio Azteca on March 28. Head coach Roberto Martinez has already made clear that he preferred for Cristiano Ronaldo to remain in Saudi Arabia rather than risk another injury setback by traveling to the other side of the world.
As for Al Anwar, the club currently competes in the second tier of Saudi Arabian soccer, sitting 12th after 26 games in the 2025-26 season. With no real competitive challenge expected, coach Jorge Jesus is simply looking to distribute minutes and keep his available players sharp ahead of Al Nassr’s next match.
Ronaldo’s club currently sits atop the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League table with 67 points from 26 games, holding a three-point advantage over chasing Al Hilal. Al Nassr are also riding a 14-game winning streak, and with their next league fixture against Al Najma set for April 3, the club will be eager to return from the international break firing on all cylinders.
Will Cristiano Ronaldo feature in Al Nassr’s friendly?
Ronaldo has already missed Al Nassr’s last two matches, a 1-0 win over Neom SC and a 5-0 victory over Al Khaleej. In the game against Al Fayha on February 28, the forward suffered a hamstring injury, with reports at the time indicating that a worst-case scenario could keep him sidelined for up to four weeks, meaning his recovery is now entering its final stages.
As revealed by Roberto Martinez at Friday’s press conference, Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to make a full recovery within one to two weeks, a timeline that lines up with Al Nassr’s friendly on March 27.
Ronaldo’s most recent Instagram post showed him training in the gym with the caption “Getting better every day.” With just a few days to go, the Portuguese star may well see some action in the friendly, though his involvement is likely to be limited compared to his teammates who have been fully fit throughout the break.