Al Nassr delivered their most convincing performance of the season on Monday, beating Pakhtakor Tashkent 6-2 in the AFC Champions League Elite to climb to six points in the West group. The win arrived without Cristiano Ronaldo and was built on contributions from João Félix, who scored twice, alongside Abdullah Al-Hamdan, Abdulilah Al-Amri, Abdulrahman Ghareeb and Angelo Gabriel. It was the kind of result that reminded critics the squad has depth beyond its headline name, and it gave manager Ange Postecoglou, who took charge in the summer of 2026, a timely confidence boost after a difficult run in the competition.

The Félix performance matters beyond the scoreline, because his future at the club has become the dominant off-pitch story. His contract expires in June 2027, and financial constraints have slowed renewal talks. Rumours linking him to Barcelona and even rivals Al Hilal had unsettled supporters, but former club legal director Saad Al-Subaie moved to calm the situation on Tuesday, stating with certainty that Félix wants to stay and activate his renewal clause.

In the league, Al Nassr sit third with 28 points from 11 games, level with leaders Al Qadsiah on points but with a game in hand. That fixture in hand gives the club genuine title leverage heading into a congested fixture schedule. Next up is a Saudi Pro League away trip to Al Hazem on November 6.