Cristiano Ronaldo‘s Saudi Arabian debut was thrown into even more confusion tonight after his new club’s ground was sealed off amid reports that the match had been cancelled.
Hundreds of staff, including security, chefs and stadium staff were kept outside with the gates locked.
Officials told MailOnline that the stadium was empty with the game due to kick off in two hours.
Groups of chefs in their white uniforms and several hundred security officials dressed in black stood outside the locked gates.
Supporters in the club’s yellow and blue colours stood outside bewildered as to why there had been no official announcement.
Both police officers and security officials told MailOnline they had been told the match was off.
Any cancellation is likely to add to the embarrassment of the club, which is splashed out upwards of £400 million to secure Ronaldo’s services for the next two and a half years.
His debut tonight had already been vetoed by FIFA following the football associations ban on him for two matches, which has yet to serve, while he was a Manchester United player.
But the club, which has not revealed whether it was to adhere to the ban, had yet to confirm whether the match would go ahead with or without its superstar with no official announcement.
A senior police officer told MailOnline that the game has been ‘100%’ cancelled and will take place on Friday evening.
