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Saudi Pro League 2025-26 Season Review: Cristiano Ronaldo Finally Lifts a Trophy at Al Nassr

The 2025-26 Saudi Pro League season will be remembered as one of the most dramatic campaigns in recent memory. From Cristiano Ronaldo finally lifting his first Saudi trophy with Al Nassr to Al Hilal’s unbeaten run still falling short of the title, the season delivered storylines that captivated fans until the very last whistle.

The title race went down to the final matchday, with Al Nassr’s decisive 4-1 victory over Damac sealing their first league crown since 2019. Meanwhile, Julián Quiñones stole the Golden Boot with a hat-trick on the final day, Al Hilal salvaged pride with King’s Cup glory, and Al Ahli retained continental dominance in the AFC Champions League Elite. At the other end of the table, Damac, Al Okhdood, and Al Najmah suffered relegation, highlighting the unforgiving nature of the competition.

Cristiano Ronaldo Ends His Trophy Wait as Al Nassr Are Crowned Champions

It is official: Cristiano Ronaldo has won his first Saudi Pro League title with Al Nassr, securing the domestic crown on a dramatic final day of the season.

Just five days before their league coronation, Ronaldo and Al Nassr suffered a devastating setback, losing the AFC Champions League Two final to Gamba Osaka. The defeat amplified the heavy criticism aimed at the 41-year-old Portuguese superstar for his failure to capture major silverware since his move to the Middle East in 2022.

The pressure intensified heading into the final matchday. A late-season 1-1 draw against Al Hilal, caused by a 98th-minute own goal from goalkeeper Bento, had slashed Al Nassr’s lead to just two points. Because Al Hilal held the head-to-head tiebreaker, any slip-up by the league leaders would have handed the trophy to their bitter rivals.

Playing under immense tension at a packed Al-Awwal Park, Al Nassr shook off early nerves to dispatch Damac Club in a commanding 4-1 victory to seal the championship. In the 34th minute, Sadio Mané eased the tension by opening the scoring with a breakthrough header. In the 52nd minute, Kingsley Coman doubled the advantage with a brilliant left-footed strike. Damac pulled one back via a Morlaye Sylla penalty in the 57th minute, briefly threatening a comeback.

In the 62nd and 80th minutes, Cristiano Ronaldo took complete control, burying a trademark free-kick and a close-range finish to score a decisive brace and trigger ecstatic celebrations.

The victory secured Al Nassr’s first top-flight championship since 2019. Under the guidance of manager Jorge Jesus, the club finished the 2025-26 campaign with 86 points, narrowly edging out Al Hilal.

If Al Nassr had drawn their final match against Damac and Al Hilal had won (they won 1-0 against Al Fayha), both clubs would have finished level on 84 points. Instead, Al Nassr won their final match and secured the title outright.

According to the Saudi Pro League Handbook, a tie at the top of the table is resolved using the following head-to-head criteria in order: (1) Most points earned in head-to-head matches between the tied teams; (2) Superior goal difference in head-to-head matches; and (3) Most goals scored in head-to-head matches.

With this triumph, Ronaldo has cemented his legacy that includes domestic league titles in England, Spain, Italy, and Saudi Arabia. He finished the campaign with 28 league goals before heading off to spearhead Portugal’s squad at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Following Al Nassr’s title win on 21 May 2026, head coach Jorge Jesus announced his departure, stating, “I only accepted this challenge because I told Cristiano: ‘I will help you become a champion, we will win the trophy, and then I will leave'”. Confirmed by the manager himself, this move marks the end of his tenure, with reports already linking potential successors such as Roberto Martínez and Marco Silva.

Unbeaten and Still Second: How Al Hilal Missed Out

Al Hilal finished second in the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League with 84 points despite becoming the only club to go the entire 34-match league season unbeaten.

The Cost of Compromise: Nine Draws, Zero Defeats

The mathematics was cruel. Nine draws, scattered across the campaign, cost Al Hilal the points that would have turned an unbeaten run into a championship. Their 84 points left them two shy of Al Nassr, despite boasting one of the league’s most balanced squads and the stingiest defence.

A team can go a full league season unbeaten and still finish second. Al Hilal are this season’s proof.

While champions Al Nassr suffered occasional slip-ups, they focused on maximising their points return. Al Hilal, managed by Simone Inzaghi, fell victim to a staggering nine draws alongside their 25 victories. Under the three-points-for-a-win system, a draw represents two dropped points. Al Hilal’s nine draws cost them 18 points compared with winning all nine matches.

Dropped points in frustrating stalemates against lower-table opposition eventually created the narrow two-point gap that handed Al Nassr the crown. Even a resilient 1-1 draw against Al Nassr on Matchday 32, saved by a 98th-minute equaliser, was not enough to bridge the gap in the final run-in.

Why an Unbeaten Second-Place Finish is So Rare

Al Hilal are firmly established as one of Saudi Arabia’s traditional “Big Four” clubs, alongside rivals Al Nassr, Al Ittihad, and Al Ahli. Backed by extensive resources and boasting a star-studded roster featuring Aleksandar Mitrović, Rúben Neves, and Malcom, they are accustomed to dominating domestic competitions.

Completing an unbeaten 34-match campaign without the title is almost unheard of in modern sport. Typically, a team dominant enough to avoid defeat cruises to a domestic title. However, the sheer quality and relentless winning streaks of Al Nassr turned the 2025-26 season into an anomaly where perfection in the loss column was still not enough.

Consolation in the King’s Cup

Despite the immense heartbreak of missing out on a record-extending 20th top-flight championship on the final matchday, Al Hilal’s season did not leave them entirely empty-handed. Earlier in May, the club salvaged silverware for their trophy cabinet by defeating Al Kholood 2-1 to lift the 2025-26 King’s Cup.

The final, played on 8 May, carried its own drama. Ramiro Enrique stunned the favourites by putting Al Kholood ahead, raising hopes of a fairytale upset. However, Nasser Al-Dawsari restored parity before half-time, and Theo Hernández struck the decisive goal in the second half to secure victory. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was in attendance, underlining the prestige of the occasion.

For Al Hilal, the triumph was both consolation and validation. Their unbeaten league campaign may have ended in frustration, but the King’s Cup ensured the season was not defined solely by near-misses. For Al Kholood, meanwhile, reaching the final was a remarkable achievement in itself. A side that finished 14th in the league had eliminated giants Al Ittihad in the semi-finals, proving that cup competitions can still deliver underdog magic.

Saudi Pro League 2025-26 Final Standings

The 2025-26 campaign produced one of the most dramatic tables in recent Saudi Pro League history. At the summit, a clear four-club tier emerged: Al Nassr crowned champions on 86 points, Al Hilal unbeaten but second on 84, Al Ahli close behind on 81, and Al Qadsiah breaking into the elite with 77. From there, the drop was steep, a 22-point cliff down to Al Ittihad in fifth, underlining the gulf between the title race and the chasing pack.

Al Qadsiah’s rise was the breakout story of the season. Under Brendan Rodgers, who took charge in December 2025, the club delivered a fearless campaign built on attacking flair. Their 83 goals were below Al Nassr’s 91 goals, making them one of the league’s most prolific attacking sides, and Julián Quiñones’s Golden Boot triumph capped a year of transformation. For a side outside the traditional “Big Four”, securing fourth place and continental qualification represented a major statement of intent.

By contrast, Al Ittihad endured a collapse. Champions in 2024-25, they fell to fifth with just 55 points, a 22-point swing that highlighted their struggles to defend the crown. Their season became a cautionary tale of how quickly fortunes can shift in Saudi football.

Final Standings (2025-26, after Matchweek 34, 20-21 May 2026)

Source: spl.com.sa

At the other end of the table, Damac, Al Okhdood, and Al Najmah were relegated. Damac’s defeat to Al Nassr on the final day sealed their fate, while Al Okhdood never recovered from a torrid run of form. Al Najmah, promoted only a year earlier, finished bottom with 16 points, a harsh reminder of the unforgiving nature of top-flight football.

The final 18-team table, anchored by Al Nassr’s triumph and Al Hilal’s unbeaten paradox, will serve as a reference point for years to come. It captures not only the champions and challengers but also the underdogs, the fallen giants, and the relegated strugglers, the complete picture of a season that balanced glory and heartbreak in equal measure.

Quiñones Snatches the Golden Boot on the Final Day

Julián Quiñones secured the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League Golden Boot following a dramatic final-day twist, overhauling Ivan Toney and Cristiano Ronaldo in the scoring charts.

Top Scorers (2025-26, final)

Source: spl.com.sa/en/stats

The race for the top-scorer accolade came down to the absolute wire on Matchweek 34. Heading into the final day, Al Ahli’s Ivan Toney led the league with 32 goals, while Al Qadsiah’s Colombian-Mexican forward Julián Quiñones trailed closely behind on 30.

Julián Quiñones produced a stunning final-day hat-trick to fire Al Qadsiah to a thumping 5-1 victory over Al Ittihad. The three-goal explosion lifted him to a final tally of 33 goals, allowing him to snatch the Golden Boot at the last possible moment.

Ivan Toney, meanwhile, failed to find the back of the net in Al Ahli’s 4-1 win over Al Khaleej. Although he picked up an assist, his final-day blank left him stuck on 32 goals, agonisingly short of the crown by a single strike. Cristiano Ronaldo (28 goals) finished third in the scoring charts. Despite recording a clinical brace in Al Nassr’s 4-1 title-clinching win over Damac, he was unable to close the gap on the frontrunners.

This final-day upset officially denied Ronaldo a third consecutive Saudi Golden Boot. However, his all-time single-season Saudi Pro League record of 35 goals, which he set during his historic 2023-24 campaign with Al Nassr, remains untouched.

Top Assists (2025-26, final)

Source: spl.com.sa/en/stats

The Official Saudi Pro League Awards celebrated the top performers of the 2025-26 season, with Al Nassr and Al Ahli stars dominating the individual honours.

Al Nassr’s João Félix was named player of the season. The 26-year-old Portuguese playmaker enjoyed a spectacular debut campaign in Saudi Arabia. Serving as the league’s ultimate creator, Félix racked up a league-high 13 assists alongside 20 league goals, edging out Ronaldo and Quiñones for the league’s ultimate individual crown.

The Golden Glove (Best Goalkeeper) was won by Al Ahli’s Édouard Mendy. Initial reports had linked Al Nassr’s Bento to the prize, but the official league announcement confirmed Mendy locked down the Golden Glove. Mendy tied Al Hilal’s Yassine Bounou with 14 clean sheets but took home the trophy due to a superior goals-conceded-per-game ratio (0.69 to Bounou’s 0.77) and three penalty saves.

The Cups: Al Hilal’s King’s Cup and Al Ahli’s Asian Crown

While Al Nassr celebrated their domestic league title, the knockout tournaments of the 2025-26 season delivered high-stakes drama, continental glory, and one of the greatest underdog fairytales in Middle Eastern football history.

The King’s Cup: Al Hilal Salvage Silverware Amid a Fairytale Run

Having narrowly missed out on the league championship despite completing an unbeaten season, Al Hilal rescued silverware on 8 May 2026 by capturing their 10th King’s Cup title. In a glittering final match at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, played in front of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Al Hilal ground out a 2-1 victory over the ultimate tournament surprise package, Al Kholood.

The final match mirrored the high-intensity drama that defined the entire tournament. In the fourth minute, Ramiro Enrique shocked the favourites by putting heavy underdogs Al Kholood ahead early. In the 42nd minute, Nasser Al-Dawsari levelled the score for Al Hilal. In the second minute of first-half stoppage time, left-back Theo Hernández scored what proved to be the winning goal just before the half-time whistle.

Despite the heartbreak of defeat, Al Kholood’s historic run captured the hearts of neutral football fans. The club finished near the bottom of the league standings in 14th place, but transformed into giants in the cup. They authored the upset of the tournament in the semi-finals, stunning defending champions Al Ittihad 5-4 on penalties following a chaotic 2-2 draw after extra time to reach their first-ever major final.

AFC Champions League Elite: Al Ahli Retain the Asian Crown

Jeddah’s Al Ahli solidified their stature as a continental powerhouse by winning the AFC Champions League Elite on 25 April 2026. Under the guidance of Matthias Jaissle, Al Ahli became the first Saudi Arabian club to successfully retain the prestigious Asian trophy since Al Ittihad managed back-to-back continental crowns in 2004 and 2005.

The single-leg final in Jeddah was a masterclass in tactical discipline. Facing Japan’s tournament debutants Machida Zelvia, Al Ahli found themselves under severe pressure after Zakaria Al-Hawsawi was shown a straight red card in the 68th minute.

Forced to play through extra time with only 10 men, the home side dug deep. Feras Al-Brikan fired home the dramatic 96th-minute winner to seal a 1-0 victory. Midfield general Franck Kessié was named the tournament’s best player for anchoring Al Ahli’s historic march through the knockout phase.

AFC Champions League Two: Al Nassr Fall at the Last Hurdle

The continental picture was less kind to Al Nassr, who missed out on completing a historic double. Ronaldo’s side advanced all the way to the AFC Champions League Two final on 16 May 2026, but suffered a tight 0-1 defeat to Japan’s Gamba Osaka.

While that continental heartbreak threatened to derail their season, it ultimately set the stage for their dramatic, final-day redemption in the domestic league.

Saudi Pro League 2025-26 FAQs: Your Questions Answered

Who won the Saudi Pro League in 2025-26?

Al Nassr won the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League title, finishing at the top of the table with 86 points. This victory marked their first domestic league championship since the 2018-19 season. The crown was officially secured on the final matchday of the campaign with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Damac on 21 May 2026.

Did Al Hilal go unbeaten in the 2025-26 Season?

Yes, Al Hilal completed the entire 34-match league season without a single defeat, recording 25 wins and nine draws. However, despite their historic unbeaten run, they finished second in the standings with 84 points. Their nine draws proved costly, leaving them two points behind champions Al Nassr.

Did Cristiano Ronaldo win a trophy with Al Nassr?

Yes, Cristiano Ronaldo won his first major domestic trophy with Al Nassr by capturing the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League title. The league triumph provided immediate redemption for the Portuguese superstar, coming just five days after Al Nassr suffered a heartbreaking 0-1 defeat to Gamba Osaka in the AFC Champions League Two final.