The Houthis launch an attack; Cristiano Ronaldo’s game is in serious doubt

Chaos and uncertainty in Riyadh following yet another attack by Houthi rebels on the international airport in the Saudi Arabian capital—the third such attack since last Sunday. According to A Bola, the attack caused moments of panic in the city and could also affect the resumption of the Saudi Pro League, particularly the match between Cristiano Ronaldo and João Félix’s Al-Nassr and Darwin Núñez’s Al-Diriyah.

According to information gathered by A Bola, all the players are reportedly safe, but fear is running high following the powerful impact of the explosions, which triggered the air defense systems.

Friday’s match is therefore in serious doubt, especially if the state of high alert in the capital continues. According to data confirmed by the Saudi Civil Aviation Authority, these attacks resulted in the deaths of Egyptian, Algerian, and Sudanese citizens and left 36 others injured, some seriously.

Security measures around the sports delegations have been significantly strengthened.

This is a particularly delicate moment for Cristiano Ronaldo, given that the Portuguese star is coming off weeks of significant turmoil, including on the national team front. CR7, who recently left Portugal’s training camp in protest after sitting on the bench for 90 minutes during the match against Norway, later published a lengthy letter in which he attacked head coach Jorge Jesus, only to then declare himself ready to return to the national team. This behavior has drawn heavy criticism at home, with a poll by A Bola showing that 77.4% of readers pointed the finger at him.