Portugal FA highlights Ronaldo’s Al Nassr goal amid unresolved row

The Portuguese Football Federation has drawn attention to Cristiano Ronaldo’s latest goal for Al Nassr, despite maintaining official silence over the dispute involving the Portugal captain and head coach Jorge Jesus.

Ronaldo returned to Saudi Arabia after leaving Portugal’s training camp during the most recent international break. His departure followed a disagreement with Jesus and led to a series of statements from both sides.

The forward then played for Al Nassr against Al Diriyah on Friday in the eighth round of the Saudi Pro League. He opened the scoring as Al Nassr secured a 3-0 victory, registering the 980th goal of his career.

The Portuguese Football Federation quickly highlighted Ronaldo’s contribution on its social media platforms. It posted the message: “Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal in Al Nassr’s victory”, alongside the Portuguese national team’s social media account on 9 October 2026.

The timing of the post attracted attention because the federation has yet to issue an official statement about Ronaldo’s departure from the national team camp or the dispute that followed.

Ronaldo had suggested that he accepted responsibility for his actions and acknowledged that he could face disciplinary measures. However, no formal announcement has been made by the Portuguese Football Federation regarding the incident.

That has led to questions over whether the federation’s decision to celebrate Ronaldo’s goal signals that the disagreement between the two parties has been resolved. The social media post did not include any direct comment on the dispute or on the possibility of sanctions.

The federation also did not give the same prominence to Al Nassr’s second goal against Al Diriyah. That strike was scored by Samu Costa, who has made seven appearances for Portugal.

Costa’s goal came after an assist from his international team-mate Joao Felix, who has been enjoying a good spell with the national team. The result was completed when France international Kingsley Coman scored Al Nassr’s third goal to secure the 3-0 win.