Cristiano Ronaldo is left out of Al-Nassr match due to 'security concerns' as countryman Joao Felix stars in his absence

Cristiano Ronaldo did not travel for Al-Nassr's AFC Champions League fixture against Pakhtakor on Monday amid ongoing security concerns.

The 41-year-old Portugal star was among a number of players left out by coach Ange Postecoglou for the trip to Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

In Ronaldo's absence, fellow Portugal international Joao Felix netted a brace in a momentous 6-2 win for Postecoglou's side.

The Australian coach also rested Kingsley Coman and Mohamed Simakan, telling a news conference he had made the decision 'given the pressure of matches and the amount of travel involved'.

It came a week after Al Nassr's match at home to Al Wasl was postponed, with the UAE club refusing to travel due to the situation in Saudi Arabia.

Airports in the country have come under a series of attacks undertaken by Houthi rebels.

Cristiano Ronaldo was rested from Al-Nassr's clash with Pakhtakor due to security concerns

Operating with backing from Tehran, the Houthis are seeking to disrupt Saudi Arabia's oil exports. One recent attack from the militants killed 13 people.

Last week Ronaldo scored a hat-trick against Al Kholood in the Saudi Pro League on Thursday, taking him to nine goals in 12 appearances this season.

Ronaldo's treble has taken him to 985 career goals as he edges nail-bitingly close to the ultimate milestone that he has been chasing for many years, since breaking the record for top goalscorer in football history in 2021.

Addressing the target with his former team-mate Rio Ferdinand in 2024, Ronaldo said: 'I want to reach 1,000 goals. If I don't have any injuries, this for me is the most important (thing), I want that.

'For me, the best mark that I can have in football is to reach, first, 900 goals. After, my challenge is to be at 1,000 goals.'

Despite surpassing Josef Bican five years ago as the all-time top goalscorer for club and country, that number is contested due to a lack of data from some historical records.

Last month, Ronaldo became football's first multi-billionaire after the veteran forward raked in £225million this year, according to Forbes.

Ronaldo reportedly passed the $2billion mark in career earnings earlier this year, just six years after he was the first footballer to surpass $1billion.

Ronaldo's status comes as he again topped Forbes' football rich list, aided by a lucrative salary at Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr which is estimated at £488,000-per-day.

Forbes has determined that Ronaldo has also earned £42million off the pitch over the course of the year, which has come via endorsements and his business ventures.