Cristiano Ronaldo has raised serious concerns about his chances of playing at the 2026 World Cup, a tournament that could be the sixth of his career – an absolute record.
The 41-year-old legend appears to have suffered a muscle injury during Al-Nassr’s 3–1 victory over Al-Feyha in the Saudi Pro League, British tabloid The Sun reports, as relayed by Gazeta Express.
To make matters even more frustrating, “CR7” missed a penalty in the first half when the score was 0–0 – a rare occurrence for the Portuguese icon.
Shortly after his team took the lead, Ronaldo signaled to the bench and left the field in the 80th minute, clearly showing physical discomfort.
Later, he was seen on the bench with an ice pack on the back of his knee.
This is the second time in just a few days that the veteran has been substituted early, as he was also forced off before the 60th minute in midweek during the match against Al-Najma.
Al-Nassr coach Jorge Jesus confirmed that Ronaldo will undergo urgent medical tests.
“Ronaldo has suffered muscle fatigue and the medical staff will immediately carry out the necessary tests to determine his condition,” the Portuguese coach stated.
With the World Cup only three months away, any serious issue could leave the Portuguese forward out of football’s biggest tournament.
This is expected to be the final World Cup of his career, with Portugal drawn into a favorable group alongside Colombia, Uzbekistan, and one of DR Congo, Jamaica, or New Caledonia.
Ronaldo is also chasing the historic milestone of 1,000 career goals as a professional – currently standing just 35 goals short of that target.
In the league, Al-Nassr leads the Saudi Pro League standings, two points ahead of Al-Ahli and three points clear of Al-Hilal.
Ronaldo has scored 21 league goals this season, ranking behind Julian Quiñones (22 goals) and Ivan Toney (23 goals) in the race for the Golden Boot.
