Cristiano Ronaldo Flees Saudi Arabia Amidst Iran Conflict
Cristiano Ronaldo, the Al-Nassr forward, departed Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for Madrid, Spain, on Monday night as tensions escalated in the Middle East following attacks in the Gulf region. The move comes after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) suspended several matches due to security concerns related to the ongoing conflict.
Escalating Tensions Prompt Ronaldo’s Departure
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 indicates that Ronaldo’s Bombardier Global Express jet left Riyadh at approximately 9 pm local time on Monday and landed in Madrid overnight on Tuesday. The flight path took the aircraft over Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea Euronews. This occurred shortly before the US embassy in Riyadh was targeted by two drones early Tuesday morning, causing a limited fire and minor material damage, according to the Saudi Defence Ministry. No injuries were reported.
AFC Champions League Matches Postponed
The AFC announced on Sunday the rescheduling of all Champions League Elite Round of 16 first-leg matches in the West Region, originally planned for March 2-3, citing security concerns. Al-Nassr’s AFC Champions League quarter-final match against Al-Wasl, scheduled for Wednesday in Dubai, was among those postponed Euronews. Matches involving clubs from the East Region will proceed as scheduled.
Iran Launches Retaliatory Strikes
The current unrest stems from waves of missile and drone attacks launched by Iran across the region in retaliation for joint US-Israeli strikes that resulted in the death of Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday Euronews.
Ronaldo’s Situation with Al-Nassr
Ronaldo, 39, lives in Riyadh with his partner Georgina Rodriguez and their five children. He has scored 22 goals in 26 matches for Al-Nassr this season, and his contract with the Saudi club extends until 2027. He is currently injured, having been substituted during Al Nassr’s 3-1 win over Al Fahya on Saturday, and was not expected to play in the postponed match Mirror.
Jet Details
Ronaldo’s private jet is a Bombardier Global Express 6500, valued at approximately £61 million Mirror. Commercial flights in the region have been disrupted due to the conflict, but Ronaldo was able to utilize his private jet for travel.
As of this report, Ronaldo has not publicly commented on his departure from Saudi Arabia.