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LEWIS STEELE: Last August, they were singing and dancing as they left the stadium. They were doing the same here but with a nagging worry in the backs of their minds.
Despite his trip to Paris and attendance to the Esports World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly expected to feature in Al Nassr's next SPL game on Tuesday. Cristiano Ronaldo made a high-profile appearance in Paris alongside several world leaders and sports executives for a marquee event at the Esports World Cup, briefly casting doubt over his availability for Al Nassr‘s upcoming fixture. However, reports indicate the Portuguese superstar will be back in uniform for the club’s next Saudi Pro League clash against Al Ettifaq. Ronaldo arrived in Paris on Sunday, August 23, to attend the grand finale of the 2026 Esports World Cup. The high-profile gathering featured key political and sporting dignitaries, including FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, the Saudi Arabian Minister of Sport. During the event, he also met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and French President Emmanuel Macron. The quick turn in Paris was part of a pre-arranged schedule stemming from Ronaldo’s role as a Global Ambassador for the Esports World Cup. The forward participated in the closing ceremonies, bringing out the trophy and placing it on the main stage to signify the handover for the 2027 edition. Next year’s tournament is slated to return to Riyadh during the summer months, prompting a large contingent of Middle Eastern delegates to attend the Paris event. ذهب يحمل الذهب! 🏆«كرستيانو رونالدو» يدخل حاملًا كأس العالم للرياضات الإلكترونية في الحفل الختامي. pic.twitter.com/Lu0kZgi2WB— ألعاب ثمانية (@thmanyahgaming) August 23, 2026 Ronaldo reportedly available for Al Nassr’s next match The international trip came just two days after Ronaldo made his 2026-27 season debut against Al Riyadh, where he came off the bench in the second half and netted one of his side’s four goals in a 4-0 victory. Despite missing Sunday’s recovery training session, the team expects him to be cleared for match action. According to Al Nassr insider Ali Alabdallh, Ronaldo is scheduled to fly directly from Paris to Dammam on Monday morning. Upon arrival, the striker will link up with his teammates ahead of their Matchday 3 fixture against Al Ettifaq on Tuesday, August 25. Al Nassr currently sit atop the Saudi Pro League standings, tied on points with four other clubs after two consecutive wins but holding the top spot via a plus-seven goal difference. After missing the club’s first two official matches of the season, Ronaldo will aim to build momentum quickly as he continues his pursuit of the 1,000-career-goal milestone.
Man Utd are interested in signing Alejandro Balde from Barcelona (Picture: Getty) Alejandro Balde was left out of Barcelona’s 5-0 win over Elche as Hansi Flick suspected he was not focussed amid speculation linking him with a move to Manchester United. It was reported last week that United had made an approach for Balde as they look to sign a new left-back before the end of the summer transfer window. Michael Carrick is keen to provide some cover and competition for Luke Shaw ahead of Manchester United’s return to the Champions League this season. England international Lewis Hall was United’s first-choice target and interested in a move to Old Trafford but Newcastle United made it clear he was not for sale. Exclusive Premier League previews Get ahead of the start of the season with our weekly football newsletter. Sign up now for free. As a result Manchester United have turned their attentions to Barcelona academy graduate Balde, who has made over 150 appearances for the La Liga champions. Balde, 22, is contracted to Barca for another two years and has an unattainable release clause in his current deal worth €1 billion. But Spanish outlet SPORT claim Barcelona bosses are willing to cash in on Balde for around 45m euros (£38m) as they look to raise funds following another summer of significant spending. Manchester United boss Michael Carrick (Picture: Getty) It was initially reported that Barca had no desire to sell Balde but the player himself is believed to be pushing for a summer move and would be open to joining Manchester United. Barcelona boss Flick left Balde out of his matchday squad for Sunday’s emphatic win over Elche and SPORT insist that is another sign a summer deal could be on the cards. Explaining Balde’s absence in his pre-match interview, Flick said: ‘I spoke with Alejandro this morning and told him that I think he’s not here at 100%. Clear your mind and then we’ll talk.’ Barcelona boss Hansi Flick (Picture: Getty) Addressing the situation in his post-match press conference, the Barca boss added: ‘I have not told Alejandro Balde to leave. ‘I spoke with him this morning, I told him to think about it and that we’ll talk again tomorrow.’ Manchester United are not alone in expressing interest in Balde, with Aston Villa and Benfica also believed to be keeping tabs on his situation. Balde missed Barcelona’s win over Elche (Picture: Getty) Benfica have in fact already approached Barcelona with a deal but the offer was immediately knocked back due to the fees involved, which remain unknown. Balde has made seven appearances for Spain but none since 2023 and was left out of Luis de la Fuente’s World Cup-winning squad earlier in the summer. The talented left-back hinted he was keen to join Manchester United back in 2020 when he took part in a quick-fire Q&A with Mundo Deportivo on TikTok. When asked, ‘A club other than Barcelona?’, Balde simply replied: ‘United.’ Carrick’s Manchester United began their Premier League campaign with a disappointing 2-0 defeat at newly-promoted Hull City, the favourites to finish bottom this season. The Red Devils will be desperate to clinch their first win of the season next weekend when another new Premier League side, Ipswich Town, visit the Theatre of Dreams. England’s Anthony Gordon, who moved to the Nou Camp in a £70m transfer from Newcastle, made two assists as Barcelona thrashed Elche 5-0 in their La Liga opener. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
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