Ronaldo sets Saudi Pro League season scoring record while Al-Hilal finishes unbeaten

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring on Monday. (Reuters)
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Updated 13 August 2024
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Ronaldo sets Saudi Pro League season scoring record while Al-Hilal finishes unbeaten

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia: Cristiano Ronaldo finished the Saudi Pro League by setting the season goal-scoring record on Monday.
Ronaldo scored twice in Riyadh as Al-Nassr defeated Al-Ittihad 4-2 and lifted his league tally to 35, one more than the record in 2019 by Abderrazak Hamdallah.
In the final seconds of the first half, Ronaldo, who had already had two goals ruled out for offside, chested down a long pass from Mohammed Al-Fatil and opened the scoring with a low shot from the left side of the area.
With 21 minutes remaining, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner celebrated wildly after heading home a corner from Marcelo Brozovic. He was substituted off the field five minutes later to a standing ovation from the home fans.
It ended an action-packed season for Ronaldo, who scored four hat tricks and collected one red card. He was also suspended for an obscene gesture in February at Al-Shabab fans who had been chanting the name of Lionel Messi, Ronaldo’s longstanding soccer rival.
Al-Nassr finished second in the league, 14 points behind local rival Al-Hilal, which won the championship more than two weeks ago and completed the 34-round league unbeaten on Monday.
Al-Hilal was too strong even without Neymar, who joined the club in August from Paris Saint-Germain but suffered a season-ending ACL injury in October.
Aleksandar Mitrovic stepped in and ended the season with a goal in the final seconds to clinch a 2-1 win over Al-Wehda. The Serbian striker, signed from London club Fulham last summer, reached 27 league goals, second only to Ronaldo.
On its way to the title, Al-Hilal went on a 34-game winning streak in all competitions, a new world record for a top tier team.
“This season has been truly exceptional for the team, arguably our best ever,” coach Jorge Jesus said. “The credit goes to the immense talent within the squad and the incredible sense of unity that transcends both on and off-field interactions.”
Al-Ittihad’s defeat at Al-Nassr ended a disappointing season for the defending champion. Karim Benzema, signed from Real Madrid, struggled with injuries and even with N’Golo Kante and Fabinho in midfield, signed from Chelsea and Liverpool respectively, the team from Jeddah could manage only fifth place.
Poor results cost Nuno Santo his job as coach in November, and the Portuguese tactician returned to the English Premier League a month later to take over Nottingham Forest.
Al-Ahli, the fourth of the ‘Big Four’ clubs taken over by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund last June, finished third, 17 points behind Al-Nassr. Al-Ahli beat Al-Fayha 1-0 thanks to a late goal — his ninth of the season — from former Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino.
Ronaldo took the headlines, however, and the 39-year-old still had one more chance to end the season with a trophy when Al-Nassr meets Al-Hilal in the King’s Cup final on Friday.


Galeno returns to Al-Ahli squad ahead of season finale

Updated 25 May 2025
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Galeno returns to Al-Ahli squad ahead of season finale

  • Key player available for selection in Monday’s crucial clash against Al-Riyad
  • Forward had been out of action since injury in Elite AFC Champions League final

Brazilian winger Wanderson Galeno has rejoined Al-Ahli’s first team after a three-week absence due to injury, the club confirmed on Saturday.

Al-Ahli announced via its official X platform account that Galeno has returned to full training, making him available for selection in Monday’s crucial clash against Al-Riyadh — the 34th and final round of the Saudi Pro League (Roshn League).

Galeno had been out since sustaining a thigh muscle injury during the Elite AFC Champions League final against Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale on May 3. He scored in that match, helping Al-Ahli to secure a 2–0 victory and lift the continental title.

Since his arrival from Brazil in January, Galeno has made a strong impact with 18 appearances, netting seven goals and providing five assists for the Jeddah-based side.


Three clubs fighting relegation in SPL Roshn League’s final round

Updated 23 May 2025
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Three clubs fighting relegation in SPL Roshn League’s final round

  • Two out of the three clubs — Al-Wehda, Al-Akhdood and Al-Orobah — will be relegated to join Al-Raed
  • Al-Wehda will stay in the league if they win or draw against Al-Ettifaq in Dammam

RIYADH: Three clubs — Al-Wehda, Al-Akhdood and Al-Orobah — will be fighting relegation during the Saudi Pro League (Roshn League) final round on Monday with matches being played simultaneously.

Two out of the three clubs will join Al-Raed, who have already been relegated to the first division. As things stand, Al-Wehda is in 15th place with 33 points, Al-Akhdood is in 16th place with 31 points and Al-Orobah is in 17th place with 30 points.

Al-Wehda will stay in the league if they win or draw against Al-Ettifaq in Dammam. A loss means they will need both Al-Akhdood and Al-Orobah to also lose or draw.

Al-Akhdood must beat Al-Khaleej and hope that Al-Wehda lose, as that would keep Al-Akhdood in the SPL for another new season.

Al-Orobah has the most difficult task. They need to beat Al-Taawoun in Al-Jouf and then hope that both Al-Wehda and Al-Akhdood lose. If that happens, Al-Orobah will move above Al-Akhdood in points and tie with Al-Wehda.

In that case, Al-Orobah would survive because they have a better head-to-head record against Al-Wehda — losing the first match 2–1 but winning the second 4–2.


All eyes on Saudi Yelo League as promotion playoff drama begins

Updated 23 May 2025
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All eyes on Saudi Yelo League as promotion playoff drama begins

  • With Neom and Al-Najma already sealing their top-flight status via automatic promotion, four other clubs are set to battle for the third and final slot

RIYADH: The inaugural Yelo League playoffs kick off on Friday, bringing fresh excitement to the race for promotion to the Saudi Pro League.

With Neom and Al-Najma already sealing their top-flight status via automatic promotion, four other clubs are set to battle for the third and final slot in this newly introduced post-season format.

Al-Hazm, Al-Adalah, Al-Bukayriyah and Al-Tai have earned their playoff places after finishing third, fifth, sixth, and seventh respectively in the season standings.

Al-Tai stepped in for fourth-placed Al-Jabalain, who were disqualified for failing to meet the Roshn League’s club licensing criteria.

Al-Adalah face Al-Bukayriyah in Al-Ahsa, while Al-Hazm host Al-Tai in Al-Rass.

Both Al-Hazm and Al-Tai are aiming for immediate redemption, hoping to bounce straight back up to the SPL after suffering relegation at the end of the 2023–24 campaign.


Al-Ittihad champions: 5 reasons behind the Jeddah giants’ 2025 Saudi Pro League title triumph

Updated 16 May 2025
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Al-Ittihad champions: 5 reasons behind the Jeddah giants’ 2025 Saudi Pro League title triumph

  • How Karim Benzema’s leading of deadly strike force, big-game mentality and local talent helped the Yellows to a 10th league crown
  • Even at the grand old age of 37, his goalscoring talents have been there for all to see

LONDON: Al-Ittihad are champions of Saudi Arabia. The Tigers clinched their 10th title on Thursday with two games of the season remaining after a 3-1 win at Al-Raed. It has been a long campaign, and here are five reasons behind the latest success for the yellow-and-black half of Jeddah.

Benzema, Aouar and Diaby provide an irresistible attacking force
Of course, the biggest star gets the most attention but this has been a season to remember for Karim Benzema. The Frenchman was beset by injuries in his first season and, while he was on the sidelines as the title was clinched on Thursday, he played a major part this season.
Even at the grand old age of 37, his goalscoring talents have been there for all to see. Benzema has 21 in the league and is second in the standings, two behind a certain Cristiano Ronaldo. Yet, if penalties are taken out of the equation, then the Ittihad star stays on 21 while Al-Nassr’s man has 16. Having such a consistent finisher makes a huge difference.
Playing deeper is Houssem Aouar. The French-born Algerian also contributed 12 goals, including a vital last-minute winner against Al-Nassr in early May that gave Ittihad’s chances a huge boost, and much more besides. Add the 13 assists from Moussa Diaby and the Jeddah giants had firepower few could match.

The Tigers roared back to shine in big games
Early in the campaign, Al-Ittihad lost 3-1 at Al-Hilal and were well beaten, going 3-0 down by the break. After finishing fifth the season before, a long way behind the champions, it looked as if Hilal were going to be too strong once again.
Yet it seemed to be exactly the result needed. From then, there was a resilience about the Jeddah giants and they never lost again to any of their title rivals. The King’s Cup victory over Al-Hilal in January, albeit on penalties, was a sign that they could beat the champions. Other powers were also dispatched. Six points were taken off Al-Nassr and Jeddah rivals Al-Ahli provided four. The big one was, however, that 4-1 win over Al-Hilal in February in front of an ecstatic home crowd. From that point on, Al-Ittihad looked like champions, while Al-Hilal did not.

Local talent provided the foundation
One lesson, not that it was really needed, from Al-Hilal’s title win last time around was that while foreign players have a huge part to play, any potential champion need a solid local contingent and Ittihad certainly had that this time around.
Abdulrahman Al-Oboud has come into his own, especially in the second half of the season providing goals, assists and generally making things happen. It was noticeable that in the 3-1 win at Al-Raed which clinched the title, the 29-year-old was everywhere.
Saleh Al-Shehri was more of a squad player and also in his first season but the experienced striker made a difference when needed especially with the only goal of October’s Jeddah Derby.
Further back, Muhannad Al-Shanqiti has proven himself to be one of the best and certainly most consistent full-backs in Saudi Arabia while Hassan Kadesh has not only impressed for the national team, but been a huge presence in the middle of the defence.

Blanc and Kante bring calm among the storm
There is not just a strong French connection in attack but Laurent Blanc brought with him an air of calmness to the coaching hotseat after a tumultuous season last time with coaches. The former Lyon boss brings a pragmatic approach to get the best out of the players he has, rather than trying to impose a system regardless of what is available. Known in France for a defensive approach, there has certainly been an emphasis on stability at the back, but then, Ittihad have scored almost 2.5 goals per game.
It helps that there is an intelligent coach on the pitch in the shape of N’Golo Kante. The midfielder is simply world class and ensures that Ittihad not only have more of the ball but also use it well. The former Chelsea star also rises to the big occasion and was immense in the vital win over Al-Nassr in early May that virtually sealed the title.

Fans, schedule and the failings of others
Al-Ittihad have some of the best — many in Jeddah would say the best — fans in the country and Asia. Having an average attendance of around 40,000 is hugely impressive, and not many other teams on the continent even come close. That brings pressure but can also inspire, and it has certainly done that this season.
There have been other advantages. The relatively poor season last time around did provide some help as it meant no Champions League football. Title rivals Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli and Al-Nassr had 10 or 11 extra games in Asia and that makes a huge difference. It gave Blanc time to train, rest and rotate.
And then, there is the fact that the other teams all dropped points. Al-Ittihad had their stumbles but this season their rivals did not take advantage with Al-Hilal — a winning machine last time around — unusually fallible. But teams still have to make use of the hand they are dealt, and Al-Ittihad certainly did that to become deserving champions.


Al-Ittihad crowned Saudi Pro League champions for 10th time

Updated 16 May 2025
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Al-Ittihad crowned Saudi Pro League champions for 10th time

  • With 2 games left to play, the Tigers move 9 points clear of Al-Hilal with a 3-1 away victory over already relegated Al-Raed
  • Al-Hilal have 3 games remaining but an inferior head-to-head record means there is no way they can overtake their rivals

JEDDAH: Al-Ittihad were crowned champions of Saudi Arabia for the 10th time after a 3-1 victory at Al-Raed on Thursday.

The Tigers have two games left to play and are nine points clear of second-place Al-Hilal, who have three games remaining but an inferior head-to-head record, which means there is no way they can overtake their rivals.

As Al-Ittihad take the Saudi Pro League trophy back to Jeddah, just two years after their last title triumph, the focus now for Al-Hilal is the battle with Al-Qadsiah, Al-Nassr and Al-Ahli for second place and the prize of qualification for the 2025-26 AFC Champions League Elite that comes with it.

It looked as if there might be another twist in the title race when Oumar Gonzalez put bottom-place Al-Raed, who are already relegated, ahead after just nine minutes. The Cameroonian pounced on a rare defensive mistake from N’Golo Kante to fire home from close range.
 

With top-scorer Karim Benzema injured and watching from the sidelines, there might have been some concern in the dugout. But if Laurent Blanc’s men were rattled they did not let it show and in the 21st minute they were back on level terms, courtesy of Steven Bergwijn, after Abdulrahman Al-Oboud broke into the right side of the area and squared the ball for the Dutchman, who made no mistake.

It was obvious from the reactions of the Al-Ittihad attackers that they wanted more of the same and that’s what they delivered as they took the lead five minutes before the break. Unai Hernandez swung over a corner from the left and Danilo Pereira was the first to reach the ball at the near post, heading smartly past the goalkeeper.

From then, it was always going to be difficult for the home side to get back into it, and it was effectively game over just two minutes after the restart. Bergwijn chipped a pass, or perhaps a shot, through a crowded area and Al-Aboud was waiting on the goal line to bundle the ball into the net for the goal that sealed the win and the title.

Come the final whistle, the celebratory T-shirts with a “Champions 25” slogan were pulled on and the celebrations started in earnest. They might continue for some time.