Cristiano Ronaldo & three more players who are currently unhappy in Saudi Arabia | OneFootball

The Saudi Pro League has grown exponentially over the past five years, but some big-name players are currently unhappy with their situation.

It’s no secret that Saudi clubs have handed out some ridiculously lucrative contracts of late, but even earning the big bucks, not everyone is happy.

We’ve taken a closer look at the league and have found four players who are currently unhappy in Saudi Arabia.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo has been the poster boy of the Saudi Pro League since his arrival at Al-Nassr in 2023.

Since that point, CR7 has often spoken in glowing terms about the league, even claiming that it’s a better standard than Ligue 1.

He’s also scored a bucketful of goals, having now racked up 117 strikes in 133 appearances for the Saudi club.

However, of late, the 40-year-old has voiced his frustration with the PIF, who own 75% of Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad.

Ronaldo doesn’t think that Al-Nassr have been backed to the same degree as the other clubs and as a result, has recently gone on strike.

Darwin Nunez

With Karim Benzema moving to Al-Hilal, Nunez will likely be granted his wish of being able to leave the club this month.

While most winter transfer windows have now shut, the Turkish Super League window remains open until February 6.

Fenerbahce are currently in talks with Al-Hilal and have proposed a loan deal until the end of the season, with an option to buy included.

Nunez only moved to Saudi Arabia last summer, but it’s not all been smooth sailing for the 26-year-old since then.

According to reports, Nunez has struggled to settle down in the Middle East and has been seeking an exit for the past few months.

Karim Benzema

Having just completed a move to Al-Hilal, the Frenchman will likely be more content than he was a few weeks ago.

Benzema initially joined Al-Ittihad in 2023, but had grown frustrated with the club in recent months.

Al-Ittihad had presented Benzema with a fresh contract offer, but the former Real Madrid star thought that the renewal terms were disrespectful, given his importance to the side.

With his relationship with the club at breaking point, he was allowed to leave to join top-of-the-table Al-Hilal.

Joao Cancelo

Cancelo is still on the books at Al-Hilal, but was granted his wish to leave on loan last month, re-joining Barcelona until the end of the season.

The Portuguese international was reportedly unhappy with the management of Simone Inzaghi and therefore forced his exit in January.

He’s still under contract in Saudi Arabia until 2027, but will likely seek a permanent exit over the summer.