Saudi Arabia: Al Hilal president fires back at Cristiano Ronaldo | OneFootball

Saudi Arabia: Al Hilal president fires back at Cristiano Ronaldo | OneFootball

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·4 February 2026

Saudi Arabia: Al Hilal president fires back at Cristiano Ronaldo

Article image:Saudi Arabia: Al Hilal president fires back at Cristiano Ronaldo
Article image:Saudi Arabia: Al Hilal president fires back at Cristiano Ronaldo

Saudi Arabia: Al Hilal president fires back at Cristiano Ronaldo

Two days after Karim Benzema's signing, the president of Al Hilal has responded to Cristiano Ronaldo.


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Earlier this week, Cristiano Ronaldo decided to temporarily step away from his Al-Nassr squad. The Portuguese star refused to train this week, citing a lack of fairness among the various Saudi clubs. He criticized the transfer of Karim Benzema to their rivals, claiming it would hurt the competitiveness of the league. Speaking on the Spanish show El Larguero, Al Hilal CEO Esteve Calzada addressed Ronaldo’s remarks.

"Why is he upset? That’s a question for him. We were presented with a unique opportunity because we were looking for a striker, and Benzema is a Ballon d’Or winner with exceptional talent. Plus, he doesn’t need to adapt to our league—everything has clicked perfectly for us, and we’re already seeing the commercial impact," he said.

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