Cristiano Ronaldo was banned from playing 2 matches due to the red card he received after a harsh elbow targeting an Al-Hilal player in the semi-finals of the 2023/24 Saudi Arabia Super Cup. The Portuguese superstar was forced to sit out when Al-Nassr defeated Al-Feiha 3-1. However, he returned to the starting lineup for the Saudi Pro League match against Al-Khaleej.

The reason Ronaldo was able to return to play before the deadline was because Al-Nassr appealed the two-match ban.  Saudi Arabian football journalist Aymen Al Tamimi said: “The Portuguese legend’s appeal to the organizers is legal and based on evidence.”

Ronaldo’s return is a great motivation for Al-Nassr because he is still very important to the team and has been in great form recently. The 39-year-old striker was even awarded the Saudi Pro League Player of the Month award before the match started. However, he had a memorable day against Al-Khaleej when he missed many opportunities. Anyway, Al-Nassr still won 1-0 thanks to Aymeric Laporte’s goal.