All eyes were on Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of Al Nassr‘s King Cup Round of 32 clash against Diriyah, as fans eagerly awaited the superstar’s return. The Portuguese icon is set to anchor the squad for the upcoming campaign, even with his retirement timeline coming into clearer focus.
However, Ronaldo will not suit up for Al Nassr today against Diriyah in their King’s Cup opener. The legendary forward is being rested following a grueling summer run at the 2026 World Cup with Portugal, which ended in a Round of 16 exit.
Following a busy offseason that included marrying long-time partner Georgina Rodriguez, Ronaldo is working to regain peak form and replicate last season’s dominant campaign, which saw Al Nassr hoist the Saudi Pro League trophy.
Al Nassr are still loaded with firepower for the match, featuring Joao Felix and Kingsley Coman as centerpiece options. Still, head coach Ange Postecoglou will have to adjust his tactical setup without his primary star on the pitch.
Ronaldo’s path toward his season debut
Rather than featuring in today’s match, Ronaldo is focusing on conditioning at the team facility. According to Saudi outlet Arriyadiyah, the forward is scheduled to undergo an intensive 90-minute fitness session at the Al-Nassr training complex today.
“The fitness staff at the Riyadh-based club has designed a specialized program for the Portuguese star to build his physical base and match fitness ahead of his upcoming return,“ Arriyadiyah reported.
Al-Nassr roster outlook for the new campaign
Following the departure of Jhon Duran, who secured a move to Benfica for the upcoming season, Al Nassr have finalized their squad for the new campaign. Here is a breakdown of the team’s roster options heading into the season:
- Goalkeepers
- #1 Nawaf Al-Aqidi (Saudi Arabia)
- #24 Bento (Brazil)
- #53 Abdulrahman Al-Otaibi (Saudi Arabia)
- Defenders
- #2 Sultan Al-Ghannam (Saudi Arabia)
- #3 Mohamed Simakan (France)
- #4 Nader Al-Sharari (Saudi Arabia)
- #5 Abdulelah Al-Amri (Saudi Arabia)
- #11 Samu Costa (Portugal)
- #12 Nawaf Boushal (Saudi Arabia)
- #26 Inigo Martinez (Spain)
- #50 Majed Qasheesh (Saudi Arabia)
- #58 Asser Housawi (Saudi Arabia)
- #70 Awad Aman (Saudi Arabia)
- #83 Salem Al-Najdi (Saudi Arabia)
- Midfielders
- #6 Saad Fahad Al Nasser (Saudi Arabia)
- #8 Hayder Abdulkareem (Iraq)
- #14 Sami Al-Najei (Saudi Arabia)
- #17 Abdullah Al-Khaibari (Saudi Arabia)
- #18 Abdulmalik Al-Jaber (Saudi Arabia)
- #19 Ali Al-Hassan (Saudi Arabia)
- #80 Wesley (Brazil)
- Forwards and wingers
- #7 Cristiano Ronaldo (Captain – Portugal)
- #9 Abdullah Al-Hamdan (Saudi Arabia)
- #10 Sadio Mane (Senegal)
- #16 Mohammed Maran (Saudi Arabia)
- #20 Angelo Gabriel (Brazil)
- #21 Kingsley Coman (France)
- #23 Ayman Yahya (Saudi Arabia)
- #60 Saad Hussain Haqawi (Saudi Arabia)
- #77 Haroune Camara (Saudi Arabia)
- #79 Joao Felix (Portugal)
