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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.
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