Cristiano Ronaldo is preparing for his first full season with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, and doing so will require a solid slate of preseason obligations to get his body and mind ready for the upcoming campaign.
After finishing second in the Saudi Pro League table last season, failing to secure any silverware, the club will aim higher in the coming campaign. They will be aided by new high-profile signings like Marcelo Brozovic, who himself is readying for action as well.
However, the battle will be tough as big-money signings have been splattered all across the Saudi Pro League landscape, with players like Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante, Kalidou Koulibaly, Ruben Neves, and other big names agreeing to huge contracts to raise the profile of the league.
With such a task ahead, Ronaldo and his teammates are readying for2023/24 with preseason fixtures in both his home country Portugal and also across the globe in Japan. The Sporting News takes a look at when Ronaldo could be set to feature for the club as they gear up for competitive action on the horizon.
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Is Cristiano Ronaldo playing today for Al Nassr vs Celta Vigo?
Due to his delayed preseason schedule, Ronaldo did not feature in the first two of Al Nassr's preseason matches against Alverca and Farense as he continues on a personalised fitness programme.
Following international commitments with Portugal in mid-June, which resulted in victories over Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iceland, Ronaldo was given time off and has only just begun his preseason training, first initiating his programme in Portugal on his own before joining his teammates.
With Al Nassr's preseason friendlies strategically located in Portugal, Ronaldo watched Friday's 5-1 win over Farense from the stands alongside new signing Marcelo Brozovic.
He’s back 🐐 pic.twitter.com/uFujQ1oIVs
— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) July 12, 2023
Head coach Luis Castro will be looking to ease Ronaldo back into action in the coming weeks, with one more match against Benfica in Portugal on Thursday, July 20 before taking on Paris Saint-Germain and Inter in Japan. The Japan friendlies are the commercial priority for Al Nassr, even ahead of the current Portugal-based games.
Cristiano Ronaldo preseason latest news
Ronaldo was permitted to train at his home in Portugal from the start of July as part of an agreed programme with the club's medical team with Al Nassr looking to manage his workload ahead of the new season.
However, he re-joined the team for training on Thursday, July 13, just a day before the Farense friendly. It's possible that Ronaldo appears in the Celta Vigo match off the bench, but unlikely, as the club will probably take it slow with his preseason ramp-up. Ronaldo more likely could be brought in from the start against Benfica on July 20.
That will allow him to be ready for the commercially relevant matches in Japan, against PSG on July 25 and Inter on July 27.
Ronaldo is entering his first full season with the club after joining in January 2023 and scoring 14 goals in 19 appearances through the end of the 2022/23 season on May 31, 2023.
Al Nassr's league season begins on Friday, July 28 as they start off against last year's fourth-place finisher Al Shabab at home.
What time does Al Nassr vs Celta Vigo start?
This preseason clash will take place at the Estadio Algarve, kicking off on Monday, July 17 at 9:30 p.m. local time in Faro, Portugal.
Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories around the globe:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA | Mon, July 17 | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| Canada | Mon, July 17 | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| UK | Mon, July 17 | 8:30 p.m. BST |
| Australia | Mon, July 17 | 5:30 a.m. AEST |
| India | Mon, July 17 | 1 a.m. IST |
| Hong Kong | Mon, July 17 | 3:30 a.m. HKT |
| Malaysia | Mon, July 17 | 3:30 a.m. MYT |
| Singapore | Mon, July 17 | 3:30 a.m. SGT |
| New Zealand | Mon, July 17 | 7:30 a.m. NZST |
