Al Nassr Cancels China Tour After Cristiano Ronaldo Left Calf Injury

Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence from the China tour is being linked to an injury to his left calf, with Diario AS saying Al Nassr announced last Tuesday that its China tour was canceled after the injury.

“El fútbol chino quiere convertirse en una potencia mundial en el fútbol”

AS Chile

Diario AS added that the forward “suffers a muscle injury in his left calf, which could mean he will have to remain sidelined for several weeks.”

AS Chile

The same report said the news affects the expected development of a friendly between Al Nassr and Inter Miami, with the Florida side traveling this week to Saudi Arabia to face Al Hilal.

Diario AS also framed the stakes around whether a friendly without Ronaldo could happen, or whether “the cancellation of another Al Nassr fixture” could occur, describing those as worst-case scenarios for the interests of the encounter.

With China absent from the FIFA World Cup 2026, IndulgExpress described referee Ma Ning as an “unlikely football hero” on the global stage and said he has become only the second Chinese referee to officiate a FIFA World Cup match.

IndulgExpress said Ma Ning is “Known for his strict officiating style and nicknamed the "Card Master,"” and described how fans have rallied behind him as a representative on football’s biggest stage.

IndulgExpress

The South China Morning Post reported that Chinese supporters, facing a national team that “has not played in tournament for 24 years,” are rooting for world’s two most famous players and a strict mainland official.

In Brooklyn, the South China Morning Post quoted Zhai Yibo saying, “Hopefully, one day I can sing the Chinese national song in a World Cup stadium,” while watching the match against DR Congo.

Separate FIFA figures cited by China.org.cn said the first 36 matches of the 2026 World Cup across the United States, Mexico and Canada attracted a total of 2,307,947 spectators.

“Apparently, an injury to Cristiano Ronaldo's left calf could keep him sidelined for several weeks”

Diario AS

China.org.cn said that equated to an average attendance of 64,100 per match and that stadium occupancy stood at 99.54 percent of total capacity despite empty seats being visible during television broadcasts.

The same article noted that the strong turnout has come despite concerns over expensive ticket prices and travel difficulties faced by supporters from some participating nations.

China.org.cn also said the numbers were notable in the United States and Canada, where football competes for attention with several more established team sports, even as football-mad Mexico was expected to draw strong attendance.