By Kazeem Ajibola Shoyebo
Amid widening conflict in the Middle East following Iranian missile and drone strikes on U.S. bases and diplomatic sites, several high-profile football personalities are reportedly moving out of the region, while others remain in place amid uncertainty and travel disruption. Among the most notable developments, Cristiano Ronaldo’s private jet has departed Saudi Arabia for Madrid, while other players and sports figures continue to wait for safe evacuation options.
Flight tracking data shows that a Bombardier Global Express private jet linked to Cristiano Ronaldo took off from Riyadh late Monday evening and landed in Madrid after an almost seven-hour journey over Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea. Multiple international news outlets report the departure followed Iran-attributed drone strikes on the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, which marked a significant escalation in the regional conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
It remains unconfirmed whether Ronaldo, his partner Georgina Rodríguez or his five children were aboard the jet, but the flight’s timing and connection to the Saudi capital, where he lives and plays for Al-Nassr FC in the Saudi Pro League, have fuelled speculation that the departure was connected to heightened safety concerns.
The broader conflict has already impacted football schedules in the region. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced a temporary suspension of Ronaldo’s Jet Leaves Riyadh as Middle East Crisis Disrupts Gulf Football AFC Champions League Elite and related competitions in the West Region, citing developing security conditions that have made travel and match operations unsafe.
Ronaldo’s departure, if confirmed as his own relocation, would be one of the most high-profile athlete movements out of the Gulf since the conflict escalated.
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