Cristiano Ronaldo has finally broken his silence on his dramatic Saudi strike. The situation was exacerbated further when Karim Benzema was granted a transfer to Al-Hilal and Ronaldo went on strike for three games. His behaviour led to serious questions over his future in the league - despite his position as the biggest and most marketable name. And that's despite both clubs, as well as Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli, all being majority owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF). 'The Saudi Pro League is structured around a simple principle: every club operates independently under the same rules,' they said.

Source: Daily Mail February 22, 2026 14:07 UTC