Al-Nassr Faces Challenges Despite Ronaldo’s Commitment

Al-Nassr commenced the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League season with great promise, bolstered by Cristiano Ronaldo’s commitment to the club through a two-year contract extension. However, the team’s recent performance has seen them slip from the top of the standings, managing only one victory in their last four league matches. This has created significant ground to cover if they wish to contend for the title. Ronaldo, who has yet to secure major silverware since joining Al-Nassr in December 2022, emphasizes that his desire for trophies remains strong.

In an interview with Arab News, Ronaldo stated, “It’s challenging to compete with teams like Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad, but we are still in the fight, still pushing. Football has its ups and downs; however, the key is to maintain professionalism, work hard, respect the club, honor your contract, and believe that circumstances will improve. For Al-Nassr, we will continue striving for more titles.”

Currently, Al-Nassr trails Al-Hilal by four points in the league standings. Despite the team’s recent setbacks, Ronaldo conveyed a resolute message via Instagram, asserting, “This fight isn’t over. We keep working, and we will rise together!”

Despite the defeat on Thursday, Ronaldo managed to score, bringing him closer to his goal of 1,000 career goals. His latest penalty conversion marks a total of 958 goals, leaving him just 42 shy of this milestone. Recently, at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai, he expressed his determination saying, “My passion is high, and I want to continue. It doesn’t matter where I play, whether in the Middle East or Europe; I enjoy football and aim to keep going. I want to win trophies and reach that number [1,000 goals]. I will achieve it, provided I stay injury-free.”

Al-Nassr is now preparing for a pivotal match against league leaders Al-Hilal on Monday. This encounter could have significant implications for the title race, as a victory for Ronaldo and his teammates would reduce the gap to just one point. Conversely, a win for Al-Hilal would extend their lead over Al-Nassr to seven points, placing them firmly in control of the league.