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.