+18 | Commercial Content | T&C's Apply | Play Responsibly | Publishing Principles

Al Nassr FC

Summary

Al Nassr are entering the new Saudi Pro League season as defending champions, but the build-up has been far from smooth. The most pressing concern is Cristiano Ronaldo's absence. Saudi reports confirm the Portuguese captain will miss the club's first two matches of the 2026-27 campaign due to his wedding celebrations, having returned late from the World Cup after Portugal's exit to Spain in the round of 16. With the season opener against Al Fateh at Al-Awwal Park on August 15 now just days away, manager Ange Postecoglou must prepare without his most important player.

Off the pitch, financial pressure has been a constant backdrop. Reports of debts reaching 800 million Saudi riyals circulated widely before the Saudi Pro League held a press conference clarifying the regulations that permitted Al Nassr to complete the signing of Portuguese midfielder Samu Costa from Real Mallorca. The move surprised many given the club's reported financial constraints, and the league's intervention was needed to explain how the deal was possible.

The goalkeeper situation has added further uncertainty. Al Nassr want to move on Nawaf Al-Aqidi, but negotiations over a transfer to Al-Fath have stalled. Reports suggest a swap deal involving another club may now be explored, while the club has also been linked with a domestic replacement. The unresolved nature of this file reflects a broader pattern of transfer-window friction that has become familiar around the club. Al Nassr go into the new season carrying real momentum from last term's title, but the weeks ahead will test how quickly Postecoglou can get his squad settled and his captain back on the pitch.

Al Nassr FC Overview

Nacho backs Ronaldo to hit 1,000 goals

Cristiano Ronaldo’s relentless pursuit of footballing history has received significant public backing from his long-time former team-mate Nacho Fernandez. The veteran defender, who also plies his trade in Saudi Arabia, believes the Portuguese superstar is destined to reach the elusive 1,000-goal milestone.

‘If Jones can become an actor!’ - Ronaldo backed for Hollywood

Cristiano Ronaldo is being backed to make the move into Hollywood movies once his playing career comes to a close, with Mikael Silvestre telling GOAL that CR7 should have no problem cracking that industry “if Vinnie Jones can become an actor”. There is no indication that the Portuguese GOAT is ready to head for Los Angeles just yet, but a new challenge will be sought at some point in the not too distant future.

Ange Postecoglou Nottingham Forest 2025-26

Embarrassment for Ange as Al-Nassr lose to Benfica B without Ronaldo

Ange Postecoglou's opening game in charge of Al-Nassr ended in embarrassment after the Saudi champions were beaten by Benfica's B team in a behind-closed-doors friendly in Lisbon. The result offered an early test for the Australian coach as he begins building his squad for the new campaign, with Cristiano Ronaldo missing the pre-season opener.

Cristiano Ronaldo Lionel Messi 2026 World Cup Portugal Argentina

Will Messi or Ronaldo grace 2030 World Cup? Future prediction

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are likely to have taken in their “last dance” at the World Cup finals, former France international Mikael Silvestre has told GOAL. Two all-time greats featured at the 2026 event, as their evergreen exploits thrill audiences across the globe, but Argentina and Portugal may be without their respective GOATs when the 2030 tournament rolls around.

Ronaldo in ‘different’ MLS franchise to Messi would ‘make sense’

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have never been team-mates, but Mikael Silvestre has told GOAL that it would “make sense” for two GOATs to be kept apart in MLS if CR7 were to join his eternal rival in the United States. There has been talk of a remarkable union being pieced together at Inter Miami, but not everybody is convinced that a couple of iconic figures should grace the same team.