Why FIFA have banned Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr from registering new players | OneFootball

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr are no longer able to register new players following a ban issued by FIFA.

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After finishing six points off the pace last season, the middle Eastern side - spearheaded by the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star - have headed into the market for reinforcements as they look towards next term.

Ronaldo’s £173m per year move to Saudi Arabia has initiated a litany of well-known stars to make big-money moves, too.

This list includes the likes of Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly, while former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has become Al Ettifaq’s newly appointed boss.

None of the aforementioned players above opted to join Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, though former Inter Milan ace Marcelo Brozovic has decided to run down the rest of his playing career alongside the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.

However, their transfer business, for the foreseeable future at least, might be put on hold. Find out why below…

Why have Al-Nassr been banned from registering any new signings?

As alluded to, FIFA have placed an embargo on transfers for the club after a payment dispute with Leicester City regarding Nigerian striker Ahmed Musa.

Journalist Ben Jacobs informed his Twitter followers of the situation as Al-Nassr faced the ban for ‘failing to pay add-ons owed to Leicester as part of the Ahmed Musa deal’.

It is believed that the ban will be imposed for three transfer windows as they owe the Premier League side £390,000, which they failed to pay.

FIFA - backed by CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) put the new regulations in place in 2021 and Al-Nassr were well-informed that should they not pay the outstanding amount, they would face repercussions.

Musa was part of Al-Nassr’s Saudi Pro League-winning side in 2018/19 and has scored 14 times in 62, while his 5-goal record for his former employers was less than impressive.

This is not the first time that Al-Nassr has been involved in a similar debacle, however.

Last November, the club were ordered to pay $2.5 million to midfielder Petros in regard to his terminated contract.

While the rest of the league has bolstered their ranks ahead of the forthcoming season, Ronaldo’s side have been limited to one big name in Brozovic.

Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech, who has struggled during his west London stint, has surprisingly snubbed a contract with the club, according to reports.

A deal for the Moroccan international seemed imminent, though his reluctance to take a pay cut combined with issues raised during his medical has halted any negotiations as things stand.

Another player linked with a move is one of Sassuolo’s standout performers, Domenico Berardi.

The Cariati-born 28-year-old had reportedly green-lit a switch to the Middle East, though FIFA’s ban may hinder a deal from coming to fruition.

Ronaldo’s former Juventus teammate Juan Cuadrado is now a free agent after leaving Turin, but he has ruled out a potential move after claiming Ronaldo doesn’t want him to join.

When quizzed about a move to Saudi Arabia, he told AS: “At this moment, I still have the passion and I like to compete.

“Besides, Ronaldo is down there and he doesn’t want me! I am very relaxed, thinking of what is best, asking God for help with these decisions.”

However, Ronaldo’s teammates (as it stands) will be the players he plays alongside in 2023/24 given the circumstances - and who knows, it might well stop them from competing for the title.