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A private jet registered to Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo departed Riyadh on Monday evening and landed in Madrid shortly before 1 a.m. local time, flight tracking data from Flightradar24 confirmed, as Riyadh entered its fourth consecutive day under the threat of Iranian drone and missile attacks and thousands of foreign nationals began evacuating the Saudi capital in one of the largest mass departures from the Gulf region in years.
The Bombardier Global Express jet left Riyadh at approximately 9 p.m. local time and completed a nearly seven-hour flight to Spain via a route over Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea. Neither Ronaldo nor his representatives issued a statement confirming the purpose of the flight or whether the 39-year-old Portuguese forward, his partner Georgina Rodriguez, and their five children were aboard. Rodriguez had used the aircraft as recently as last week for a personal trip to Milan, sharing footage from the flight with her 72 million Instagram followers.
The departure was prompted by a security situation that has deteriorated sharply around Riyadh since the US-Israeli assault on Iran began on Saturday. Two Iranian drones struck the US Embassy compound in the Saudi capital overnight, causing a limited fire and minor material damage to the building, the Saudi Defence Ministry confirmed. Iranian state media also claimed responsibility for destroying a command and staff facility in Bahrain, while Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura oil refinery was targeted by a separate wave of Iranian drones, aircraft intercepted by Saudi air defences before reaching the installation. Commercial aviation across the region has been severely disrupted, with multiple inbound aircraft to Riyadh diverted overnight and airspace closures across Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, and the UAE constraining available departure routes.
The aircraft itself has become one of the more recognisable private jets in the world of professional sport. Ronaldo acquired the Bombardier Global Express 6500 in 2024 for £61 million, replacing a Gulfstream G200 he had owned since 2015. The all-black jet, customised with his CR7 branding and goal-celebration silhouette, can carry up to 15 passengers and is fitted with a lounge area, a private bedroom suite, and a dedicated shower room. The aircraft’s overnight departure tracking data circulated rapidly across social media platforms, with the story amplifying into a broader narrative about the conflict’s reach into the lives of professional athletes and high-profile expatriate residents of the Gulf.
The Asian Football Confederation suspended eight matches in the Gulf region over the weekend, citing the developing security situation. All AFC Champions League Elite Round of 16 first-leg matches in the West Region, originally scheduled for March 2 and 3, were rescheduled. AFC Champions League Two and AFC Challenge League quarter-final first-leg matches involving West Region clubs, originally set for March 3 and 4, were also postponed until further notice. Among the cancelled fixtures was Al-Nassr’s AFC Champions League Two quarter-final against Al-Wasl, which had been scheduled for Wednesday in Dubai. Saudi Pro League matches were suspended separately.
“The AFC will continue to closely monitor this rapidly evolving situation and remains resolute in ensuring the safety and security of all players, teams, officials, and fans,” the confederation said in a statement.
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Ronaldo’s exit from Saudi Arabia was further complicated by a personal fitness situation that preceded the regional conflict. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner sustained a muscle-related injury during his latest Saudi Pro League appearance against Al-Fahya, putting his status for the 2026 World Cup in doubt. His most recent goals came in a 4-0 victory over Al-Hazem, where he scored twice to lift Al-Nassr to the top of the Saudi Pro League. Just days before the conflict erupted, Ronaldo told reporters he was happy in Saudi Arabia and intended to stay. “I belong to Saudi Arabia. It’s a country that welcomed me very well — me and my family and my friends,” he said.
Ronaldo has scored 22 goals in 26 appearances for Al-Nassr this season, and his contract with the club runs until 2027. Exit clauses in that deal can be triggered in the summer transfer window, and speculation about a move to Europe or Major League Soccer had been circulating before the outbreak of hostilities. The conflict and associated suspension of competitive football in the region is likely to intensify that speculation further.
Several other high-profile athletes remained stranded in the region as of Tuesday morning, unable to depart due to the scale of commercial aviation disruption. Tennis players Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, and Tallon Griekspoor were among those caught in Dubai, where they had been competing at the Dubai Open before the outbreak of hostilities grounded most outbound flights. Former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand, who relocated to the UAE with his family in August 2025, was also reported to be among those seeking to secure passage out of the region.
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The Lions cricket tour of the UAE and broader T20 cricket fixtures scheduled across the Gulf were separately cancelled following the missile strikes, with cricket’s governing bodies issuing a joint statement citing the safety of players and officials as the overriding consideration. The cancellations added to a picture of organised sport across the Gulf effectively shutting down as the conflict entered its fourth day with no ceasefire in prospect.
Al-Nassr’s next scheduled Saudi Pro League fixture is against Neom on March 7. Whether that match proceeds will depend entirely on the trajectory of the conflict over the coming days. No resumption date for AFC competition in the West Region has been announced, and the Saudi Pro League had not confirmed a schedule restart as of Tuesday morning.
