Cristiano Ronaldo left out of Al-Nassr squad for King’s Cup Round of 32 tie with Al-Diriyah

Cristiano Ronaldo was omitted from Al-Nassr’s squad for their King’s Cup Round of 32 match against Al-Diriyah on August 18, 2026, and has been carrying out preparations at the Dar Al-Nassr centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Ronaldo returned to Al-Nassr training last week after a more than month-long break that began with Portugal’s elimination from the FIFA World Cup 2026 on July 6. He was given an additional recuperation period following that exit and returned to club work later than scheduled. After rejoining, he missed the first two games of the season, including Al-Nassr’s Roshn League opener, a 3-0 victory over Al-Fateh last Saturday.

Al-Nassr’s fitness coach has been overseeing Ronaldo’s preparation for forthcoming matches, and the forward completed a 90-minute fitness training session on Tuesday afternoon at the Dar Al-Nassr centre in Riyadh in advance of a planned return. Club staff say he continues to work on his fitness as part of that programme. The training sessions are intended to restore his match readiness over the coming weeks.

Manager Ange Postecoglou has preferred to ease Ronaldo back into competitive action rather than rush his inclusion. The coaching and conditioning staff opted not to push him into play for the opening domestic matches after his late return to the team’s preseason preparation. The club has allowed him extra time to relax and recuperate following his post-World Cup holiday and personal responsibilities.

The coaching and medical teams currently consider him not fit enough to play for Al-Nassr. The club statement adds that he is likely to return for their next game once staff are satisfied with his condition.

He is anticipated to make his debut appearance of the 2026-27 season when Al-Nassr face Al Riyadh on Friday, August 21, 2026, and, once the coaching staff feels he is fit, the forward will return to action.