Al Nassr, the Saudi Arabian club, owned by Cristiano Ronaldo, has been hit with a ban on registering new players until they settle a debt with Leicester City, according to FIFA. The ban stems from a 2021 ruling that ordered Al Nassr to pay Leicester €460,000 ($513,000) plus annual interest of 5%. Leicester filed the complaint in April 2021 due to unpaid additional clauses from the sale of Nigeria forward Ahmed Musa in 2018, where Al Nassr owes them €18m ($20m).
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This ban on registering new players does not prevent Al Nassr from signing them; it simply means they cannot play until the debt is settled. FIFA stated, “The relevant bans will be lifted immediately upon the settlement of the debts being confirmed by the creditors concerned.”
When Al Nassr secured the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo as a free agent in January, it set off a spending spree in the Saudi Pro League. This sparked a trend that has seen four clubs, including Al Nassr, now owned by the $700 billion sovereign wealth Public Investment Fund (PIF), which is chaired by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.
In their latest addition, Al Nassr signed Croatia midfielder Marcelo Brozovic from Inter Milan, with the transfer valued at €18m ($20m). However, Al Nassr’s spending spree appears to be on hold due to the registration ban imposed by FIFA.
Currently stationed in Portugal for a preseason training camp, Al Nassr faces a qualifying playoff in the Asian Champions League on Aug. 22. The club will host either Shabab Al Ahli of the United Arab Emirates or Jordan’s Al Wehdat.
Meanwhile, Ahmed Musa, who played for Al Nassr until 2020, spent the last season with Sivasspor in Turkey.
