Ronaldo, on the hunt for 1000 goals at the age of 41, reached 985 at the end of October as he bagged a hat-trick against Al-Kholood. It was the 67th hat-trick of his career and he needs just 15 more goals to set a record that may never be broken.

However, as his challenge continues heading into 2027, the legendary forward was left off the roster by coach Ange Postecoglou for Monday's match against Pakhtakor in Tashkent.

Postecoglou told a news conference in Uzbekistan he'd rested Ronaldo, Kingsley Coman and Mohamed Simakan "given the pressure of matches and the amount of travel involved."

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has been left behind due to security issues and regional uncertainty, which reportedly could put him at risk if he does brave the trip.

Al-Nassr’s previous home game in the tournament had been delayed by an hour after reports of missile attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

Japan Football Association president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto recently expressed his reservations about the tournament. "Based on what I've learned from the news, the situation is still unsafe, so at this point, I don't think it would be easy to hold the Cup there," Miyamoto stated.

Ronaldo also had a rest last week when Al-Wasl of the United Arab Emirates declined to travel to Riyadh for a Champions League game as the game was rescheduled.

He will now be well rested to face Al-Hazem Saudi Club once the Saudi Pro League returns, handing him the perfect chance to reach 986, with the objective being that he grabs his 1000th goal before he potentially hangs up his boots at the end of the season.