Al Nassr still maintain their hopes of winning a title this season, coming off a painful loss in the AFC Champions League Two final against Gamba Osaka. In addition, while Cristiano Ronaldo continues to fight for the Saudi Pro League, he is very far from capturing the SPL Golden Boot, but is nominated for another league award.
The Saudi Pro League has announced the shortlist of five candidates for the 2025-26 Player of the Season award. Heading into the final matchday, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ivan Toney lead the nominations alongside Joao Felix, Julian Quinones, and Ruben Neves, capping off a highly contested season between Al Nassr and Al Hilal.
Cristiano is one of the clear favorites after leading Al Nassr in the title race and putting them in position to become champions, though nothing is decided until the final matchday. Ronaldo currently has 26 goals, standing as the third-highest scorer in the league.
A tight title race on the final matchday
With the final matchdays set to be played on Thursday, Al Nassr lead with 83 points, two more than the undefeated Al Hilal. The leaders face Damac, and a victory would give them the title, while Al Hilal visit Al Fayha. All the pressure is on Al Nassr, as a stumble could allow the second-place side to snatch the crown away from them at the very last moment.
The #RoshnSaudiLeague Player of the Season 2025/26 nominees are here! 💪
— Roshn Saudi League (@SPL_EN) May 17, 2026
🗳️ Vote here: https://t.co/R5JqjPVOOU
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Ronaldo and Felix in search of domestic glory
Ronaldo has already lost four finals with Al Nassr but the league crown is still up for grabs. The veteran has scored 26 goals this season and became the third player of the modern era to reach 100 goals in the Pro League. With seven Man of the Match awards, he is a favorite for the player of the season title.
He needs to win the final matchday to achieve his first major title with the club since his arrival on January 1, 2023. His teammate Joao Felix is also nominated, having scored three hat-tricks, a record for a midfielder, while leading the league in assists with 12 and ranking second in total goal contributions.
The other nominees for the award
Toney has scored 32 goals in 31 league matches with Al Ahli, recording four hat-tricks and earning nine Man of the Match awards in the Saudi Pro League. At Al Qadsiah, Quinonez stands out, having reached 30 goals this season to surpass the historic club record in the top flight with 50 total goals, while also winning 13 Man of the Match awards. Additionally, Ruben Neves anchors the midfield for Al Hilal, becoming the first player to surpass 2,000 passes to lead the league in key passes.
