Cristiano Ronaldo's £61m private jet leaves Saudi Arabia as Iran conflict escalates
Cristiano Ronaldo's private jet left Riyadh for Madrid on Monday night following the escalation of tensions in the Middle East.
Thousands of people are fleeing the region as Iran launches retaliation following attacks by Israel and the United States and it appears as though Ronaldo might be one of them.
Flight tracking data showed that Ronaldo's £61million jet left Saudi Arabia on Monday night at around 8pm and landed in the Spanish capital, where he previously played for Real Madrid, at 1am. Flightradar24 showed it travelled west over Egypt and the Mediterranean before landing in Spain.
Commercial flights in the region have been grounded due to conflict, but the 41-year-old, who plays for Al-Nassr in the Saudi capital, owns a Bombadier Global Express 6500 jet. He has lived in Riyadh since joining Al-Nassr from Manchester United in December 2022, where he earns £488,000 per day.
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He is currently injured, having gone off in Al Nassr's 3-1 win over Al Fahya on Saturday, so isn't expected to play their next match. Al-Nassr's Asian Champions League quarter-final at Al-Wasl, that was scheduled for Wednesday, was postponed on Monday due to the conflict.
Iran has targeted Saudi Arabia in recent days, with the country's Ministry of Defense confirming on Tuesday morning that the US embassy in Riyadh had been attacked by two drones. The attack ended "in a limited fire and minor material damage to the building".
It came after Iran struck Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura refinery, the world's largest oil refinery, causing a spike in worldwide oil prices.
Two years ago, Ronaldo sold his Gulfstream G200 private jet, that he purchased for £16m in 2015, and upgraded to the Bombadier Global Express 6500. It can carry 15 passengers and has a suite with a double bed and a separate shower.
His fiancé Georgina Rodriguez recently used the jet to travel to Milan, sharing photos of her journey with her 72 million followers on Instagram. The couple, who originally met in Madrid, live with Ronaldo's five children in Riyadh.
The US Mission to Saudi Arabia has issued a shelter in place notification for Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran. Meanwhile, football in Saudi Arabia has been put on hold.
"In light of the developing situation in the Middle East, the Asian Football Confederation has confirmed that the AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26 Round of 16 first-leg matches in the West Region, originally scheduled for March 2-3, 2026, will now be rescheduled," a statement from the Asian Cup organisers read on Monday.
"Additionally, the AFC Champions League Two and AFC Challenge League quarter-final first-leg matches involving teams in the West Region, originally scheduled to be played between March 3 and 4, 2026, are also postponed until further notice.
"Matches involving clubs from the East Region across all of the AFC's club competitions will proceed as originally scheduled. 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."
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