Cristiano Ronaldo did not travel with Al-Nassr for their AFC Champions League fixture against Pakhtakor on Monday, with the club citing security concerns.
Coach Ange Postecoglou also opted to rest several other players, including Kingsley Coman and Mohamed Simakan, for the trip to Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Postecoglou stated the decision was made "given the pressure of matches and the amount of travel involved." In Ronaldo's absence, Portuguese international Joao Felix scored two goals in Al-Nassr's 6-2 win.
The match followed an incident last week where Al Wasl, another UAE club, refused to travel to Saudi Arabia for their scheduled match with Al-Nassr due to the ongoing security situation. Airports in Saudi Arabia have been targeted by Houthi rebels in recent weeks.
Ronaldo recently scored a hat-trick against Al Kholood in the Saudi Pro League, bringing his season total to nine goals in twelve appearances. He is also nearing 1,000 career goals, a milestone he has expressed a desire to reach. Forbes reported last month that Ronaldo had become football's first multi-billionaire, with significant earnings from his playing contract and endorsements.