Cristiano Ronaldo's 41st birthday was disappointing; he continues his strike amid a firm response from the Saudi side, and is expected to leave this summer.

February 5th was Ronaldo’s 41st birthday, yet the Portuguese legend experienced a very difficult day. The signing of his ex-teammate Benzema by Al Hilal, the Saudi Pro League front-runners and title contenders, from the reigning champions Al-Ittihad Jeddah, enraged Ronaldo and led him to boycott matches. He has skipped one league game but failed to stop Benzema’s transfer to Al Hilal.

According to the latest report from renowned Italian journalist Romano, Ronaldo will continue his strike and will not participate in the upcoming Saudi Pro League match where Al Nassr hosts Al-Ittihad Jeddah.

Ronaldo is being very firm, and the Saudi side is equally resolute. According to the latest ESPN report, the Saudi Pro League has issued a strong response to Ronaldo’s recent suspension. The league’s spokesperson stated:No player has the authority to make decisions beyond their own team.In other words, Ronaldo can only act tough within Al Nassr and influence decisions made by the club’s management, but he has no say over the transfers or signings of other top Saudi Pro League teams such as Al-Ittihad or Al Hilal.

In my personal view, Ronaldo has previously placed great trust in the Saudi Pro League and publicly declared it as a top-five league in world football, ranking above Ligue 1, serving as a highly dedicated and qualified ambassador for Saudi football. Now that relations between Ronaldo and the Saudi authorities have soured so badly, it seems he will leave the league this summer. However, given his current style of play—standing still in the box waiting for chances—it will be very difficult for him to return to a major European league. In short, it’s complicated: staying means enduring frustration, leaving means facing challenges in finding a suitable new club.