Al Nassr, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, was slapped with a registration ban by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) on December 19.
However, after Al Nassr’s full compliance with rules, the ban was lifted two days later.
Why was Al Nassr been given a transfer ban?
The exact reason for Al Nassr’s transfer ban is not officially known, but local media in Saudi Arabia, especially Al Riyadhiya, has linked the ban to an unpaid instalment for the transfer of Aymeric Laporte from Manchester City.
City was reportedly due to receive €9 million from Nassr on August 31, 2025 which did not materialise, leading to the sanction against the Saudi side.
Had Al Nassr been banned for a similar reason before?
Yes. In July 2023, just a few months after Ronaldo arrived at the club, Nassr had received a similar ban due to financial irregularities regarding the transfer of Nigerian winger Ahmed Musa from Leicester City in 2018.
FIFA had then found out that the club hadn’t paid performance-related bonuses close to £390,000. The ban was lifted after the club paid nearly 2 million euros in reparations.
Is Al Nassr the only Saudi club to be banned this time?
No, Al Riyadh, Al Shabab and Al Wehda are some of the other Saudi Pro League sides on the list with transfer bans. All three have been given bans of three windows.
How was the Al Nassr ban revoked?
Al Nassr complied with FIFA’s rules within days of the registration ban to clear itself of the sanction.
Published on Dec 22, 2025
