Alvaro Gonzalez reveals Ronaldo helped settle Al-Nassr wage delays
Álvaro González has said Cristiano Ronaldo stepped in to ensure unpaid Al-Nassr players received their wages after the Portuguese forward joined the Riyadh club in December 2022.
Key details
| Item | Figure or date | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Unpaid period | Six months | González said some Al-Nassr players went without salary payments. |
| Ronaldo arrival | December 2022 | The forward joined after leaving Manchester United. |
| Matches together | 11 | Al-Nassr won six of those competitive fixtures in 2022-23. |
The former Espanyol and Villarreal centre-back, who retired from professional football in early August 2026 at 36, described an unexpected start to his spell in Saudi Arabia. He had joined one of the country’s biggest and best-supported clubs, but said the dressing room was facing uncertainty over outstanding salaries.
González said he had enough savings from 14 years in the game to avoid immediate financial pressure. Even so, he stressed that the move had been intended to provide a significant income, making the delay particularly striking at a club backed by the Public Investment Fund and capable of drawing crowds of around 70,000.
He said the issue did not affect every member of the squad, but that several players had not been paid when Ronaldo became aware of the situation. The Portugal captain was due to receive his first payment from the government and, González said, made clear that the outstanding wages for team-mates should be settled before he accepted his own money.
“His first salary was substantial, but his priority was that the players who had not been paid received what they were owed,” González recalled. “He did not need to get involved, but he did.”
The Spaniard’s overlap with Ronaldo was limited. They played 11 competitive matches together during the 2022-23 season, with Al-Nassr recording six wins before González departed.
Ronaldo, now 41, remains contracted to Al-Nassr until June 2027. He continues to lead the club’s domestic and continental campaigns while pursuing the 1,000-goal milestone in his senior career.
