Cristiano Ronaldo flew out of Saudi Arabia and headed to Madrid on Tuesday, just as tensions in the region due to the ongoing US-Iran war hit a boiling point. The Portuguese left on a private jet not long after the Asian Football Confederation suspended all club games in the West Region because of the conflict in Iran. After drone strikes hit the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh and security worries spiked, Ronaldo decided it was time to move his family to Europe. With sports on pause across the Gulf, the Al Nassr captain isn’t waiting around.
Cristiano Ronaldo Private Jet Departs From Riyadh for Madrid
Flight data showed Ronaldo’s Bombardier Global Express took off from Riyadh late Monday, flew over Egypt and the Mediterranean, and touched down in Madrid early Tuesday. He brought his partner, Georgina Rodriguez and their five kids along.Â
Ronaldo has scored 22 goals in 26 games for Al Nassr this season. He just ended a short standoff with the club about investment, but this trip isn’t about that, but about keeping his family safe during the war. People close to him say the 41-year-old plans to stay in shape in Spain, using his own training facilities, while he waits to hear when the Saudi Pro League and AFC games will pick up again.
US-Iran War Conflict Forces Major Sports Suspension
The trigger for Ronaldo’s decision to leave Riyadh was the sudden outbreak of a military activity that has basically brought the whole sporting world to a standstill. When joint U. S. and Israeli airstrikes on Tehran over the weekend were followed by retaliatory drone and missile attacks that hit various targets in the Gulf, the chain of events leading to this decision became inevitable.
On Tuesday morning, the Saudi security forces confirmed that two drones targeted the U. S. Embassy in Riyadh, leading to a fire and some damage to the property.
Due to this escalated violence, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) had to reschedule all the matches of the AFC Champions League Elite and AFC Champions League Two. Ronaldo’s team, Al Nassr, was initially going to play against Al Wasl in Dubai on March 4; however, the match, along with seven other continental contests have been postponed indefinitely.
The suspension not only puts the rest of the 2025/26 season into question but also the impending world events, such as the Finalissima in Qatar.
