Cristiano Ronaldo has publicly apologised after his injury led to the cancellation of Al-Nassr's two-game tour of China.
The Portuguese football icon is currently nursing a muscle complaint that would have prevented him from participating in matches against Shanghai Shenhua and Zheijang.
Consequently, as the five-time Ballon d’Or winner cannot showcase his skills in front of his dedicated fan base, a decision has been made to temporarily postpone the friendly games and reschedule them for a later date.
There are reports that Ronaldo, who netted an impressive 54 goals in 2023 while playing for Al-Nassr and Portugal, may be sidelined for a couple of weeks. If this proves to be true, it raises the possibility of him missing a highly-anticipated reunion with Lionel Messi when Inter Miami travel to Saudi Arabia for the Riyadh Cup.
For now, Ronaldo has said of unfortunate events in the Far East: “As you know, in football some things you cannot control. I have played 22 years in football and I am a player that doesn’t have too many injuries. So I’m really sad because Al-Nassr and myself have come to China to enjoy the tour. I have been coming to China since 2003/2004, so I feel at home here – my second home.
"I felt that I am always special here. I feel sad. I know you are sad too, especially the people who love Cristiano, but we have to see this in a good way. We have not cancelled the game, we want to push for the game and be back here. We will be back. Unfortunately, I have some problem, but this is part of football and my life. I’m here, I’m with the fans, I’m with the Chinese people and we are going to continue here. We can see outside the people that are with us. We are sad because we knew this could happen. We will be back to make the Chinese people happy, this is my goal. I want to play for you. Don’t be sad because I am sad and I hope you understand the circumstances of a football player.”
Al-Nassr is currently on a mid-season break, providing them with the opportunity to travel to China. However, adjustments to their plans are necessary. They are scheduled to play against Messi and Inter Miami on February 1, followed by a match against Al-Hilal a week later. The team will then resume competitive action in the AFC Champions League against Al Feiha on February 14.