Cristiano Ronaldo’s extravagant £61 million private jet took off from Saudi Arabia under the cover of darkness, sparking speculation that the football icon may have sought refuge as regional tensions intensify.
Riyadh, the city where 41-year-old Ronaldo resides with his partner Georgina Rodriguez and their five children, has come under threat following retaliatory strikes by Iran. These actions were in response to a series of assaults initiated by the US and Israel starting last Saturday.
The Saudi capital witnessed an overnight drone attack targeting the US embassy, and Iranian media reported the destruction of a command and staff facility in Bahrain.
With the situation escalating, foreign nationals are making a mass exodus from the Middle East. Meanwhile, information surfaced online revealing the departure of Ronaldo’s jet bound for Madrid.
Tracking data indicates that the Bombardier Global Express jet embarked on a nearly seven-hour flight to the Spanish capital.
The opulent aircraft left Saudi soil at 8 PM local time, touching down in Madrid close to 1 AM local time.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s private jet left Saudi Arabia and went to Madrid overnight
A flight tracker showed details of the £61million private jet’s path to Spain from Saudi
Flightradar24 shows the path Ronaldo’s jet took, flying over Egypt and the Mediterranean before arriving in Spain.
The US State Department had urged Americans to leave more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries due to safety risks.
Anyone east of Egypt was told to depart and a huge number of flights destined for Riyadh overnight were seen turning back, with thousands of foreign nationals desperately trying to get away from the warzone.
In 2024, Ronaldo sold the Gulfstream G200 that he purchased for £16m in 2015 and splashed out on a new Bombardier Global Express 6500 jet worth an eye-popping £61m.
The all-black model has the capacity for up to 15 passengers, and features a number of different rooms, including a seating area with tables and sofas, a suite with a double bed, and a separate shower area.
It is customised with his logo throughout, and decals of his silhouette celebrating a goal in characteristic fashion and only last week was used by Rodriguez on a trip to Milan.
She shared a photo of the journey with her 72 million followers in Instagram, wearing a black bra.
Ronaldo, who earns an astronomical £488,000-a-day for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, is currently injured.
Ronaldo, pictured with partner Georgina Rodriguez, bought the jet in 2024
Details of the timing of the flight of the Bombardier Global Express XRS are publicly available
He was forced off during Al-Nassr’s 3-1 win over Al Fahya on Saturday and there are now fears over how serious the muscle problem could be, with the World Cup fast approaching.
Regardless, Al-Nassr have had their Asian Champions League Two quarter-final clash against Al-Wasl postponed due to the escalating violence in the Middle East.
Israel and the US launched combined attacks on Iran, killing supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
Iran has launched retaliatory strikes across the region and at present, six US service members have been killed with a further 18 injured.
Donald Trump boasted of America’s ‘virtually unlimited supply’ of weapons on Tuesday as US Central Command said it destroyed several of Iran’s military assets.
Trump made the claim after threatening retaliation against the Islamic Republic following the regime’s fiery drone strike on the US embassy in Saudi.
‘The United States Munitions Stockpiles have, at the medium and upper medium grade, never been higher or better – as was stated to me today, we have a virtually unlimited supply of these weapons,’ Trump wrote on his Truth Social website.
‘Wars can be fought “forever” and very successfully, using just these supplies.’
The president said ‘additional high grade weaponry’ is ‘stored for us in outlying countries’ but noted that ‘at the highest end, we have a good supply, but are not where we want to be’.
Rodriguez shared the above image last week on the private jet during a trip to Milan
Smoke billows from a Saudi Arabian site reportedly struck by an Iranian missile
Trump did not elaborate, but his missive came as analysts begin raising concerns about the number of munitions America has as the campaign continues — particularly air defense missiles.
Loud explosions were heard across the Gulf cities of Dubai, Doha and Manama on Monday, while blasts were also heard in Jerusalem, with the IDF saying defence systems were operating to intercept missiles.
Several US warplanes have crashed in Kuwait but their crews have survived, according to officials.
This comes as Brits trapped in the UAE’s most populous city are awaiting evacuation, after 94,000 British citizens vacationing in the hotspot registered their contact details with the foreign office.
A host of celebrities who have moved to Dubai have shared terrified updates after getting caught up in the air attacks.
Branding it the ‘scariest, worst nights of our lives’, many spoke of how scared they were hearing the constant bangs overhead, while sheltering in their homes as the strikes rage on across the UAE.
The escalating violence is causing travel chaos and already having a massive impact across society in the Middle East.
The Asian Football Confederation released a statement confirming that matches on Tuesday and Wednesday would not go ahead.
Ronaldo’s partner is pictured after a previous flight using the private jet in 2024
‘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,’ they said.
‘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.’
