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Akbar Novruz

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Cristiano Ronaldo departed Riyadh for Madrid on Monday night after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) suspended several matches in the Gulf region following escalating tensions linked to the Iran war, AzerNEWS reports.

Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the Portuguese football star’s Bombardier Global Express jet leaving Riyadh at approximately 9:00 p.m. local time (7:00 p.m. CET). The aircraft flew over Egypt and the Mediterranean before landing in Spain early Tuesday.

Ronaldo’s departure came after Al-Nassr’s AFC Champions League quarter-final against Al-Wasl, scheduled to take place in Dubai on Wednesday, was among eight matches postponed by the AFC due to security concerns.

The suspension follows heightened regional instability. Early Tuesday morning, two drones struck the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, according to Saudi authorities. The Saudi Defense Ministry said the incident caused a limited fire and minor material damage, with no reported injuries.

On Sunday, the AFC announced it was rescheduling all Champions League Elite Round of 16 first-leg matches in the West Region originally planned for March 2–3. The federation cited security considerations amid ongoing hostilities in the Gulf. Matches involving clubs from the East Region will proceed as scheduled.

The escalation follows missile and drone attacks launched by Tehran across the region in retaliation for joint U.S.-Israeli strikes over the weekend.

Ronaldo, 39, lives in Riyadh with his partner Georgina Rodriguez and their five children. The forward has scored 22 goals in 26 appearances for Al-Nassr this season. His contract with the Saudi club runs until 2027.