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Cristiano Ronaldo scored on his first appearance since leaving Portugal’s Nations League camp as Al-Nassr won for the first time in three matches in all competitions by beating Al-Diriyah to move second in the Saudi Pro League at Al-Awwal Park.
Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo, who started his country’s home win over Wales but went home after being left on the bench for their victory in Norway, slotted in from close range after goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah spilled Kingsley Coman’s shot, with the goal allowed following a Video Assistant Referee review for a potential offside against Sadio Mane.
Al-Nassr doubled their lead before the break when new signing Samu Costa headed in Joao Felix’s corner and could have been 3-0 ahead at half-time but for Qasem Lajami clearing the former Chelsea forward’s shot off the line.
Coman surged clear courtesy of Mane’s through ball, entered the box and struck a late third before Berat Djimsiti headed narrowly wide for Al-Diriyah.
The result moved Al-Nassr level on points with leaders Al-Qadsiah and will have provided some relief for new head coach Ange Postecoglou following the title holders’ run of one win in four matches in all competitions immediately before the international break.
سامو كوستا يسكنها الشباك 🎯🔥
#النصر_الدرعية | #دوري_روشن_السعودي https://t.co/SilBXRjwxB— رياضة ثمانية (@thmanyahsports) October 9, 2026
How Cristiano Ronaldo returned with Al Nassr
Ronaldo released a lengthy statement following the saga of his first training camp with new Portugal manager Jorge Jesus, who was his boss at Al-Nassr last season.
Fans held up a banner honouring the 41-year-old as Ronaldo returned to domestic action, celebrating in trademark fashion after scoring and sharing a jovial exchange with opposition forward Darwin Nunez at one point.
Newly led by Portuguese coach Bruno Lage – formerly of Benfica and Wolves – Al-Diriyah are ninth after a promising start to their first-ever season in the division and went closest shortly after half-time when Enzo Millot’s curling attempt from distance was tipped around a post by Bento, although the effort may have been going wide.
Joao Felix had a second-half shot from inside the box turned behind by Abdullah, whose side had taken 11 points from their first seven league games but missed out on the point they needed to rise to seventh.
What’s next? Cristiano Ronaldo, Al Nassr fixtures
Al-Nassr are next in action at home to Uzbekistan Super League team Neftchi Fergana in their second Champions League match of the season, five days before Al-Diriyah play in the league again.
| Date | Match | BST start time | ET | PT |
| Mon, Oct 12 | Al-Nassr vs Neftchi Fergana | 19:15 | 14:15 | 11:15 |
| Sat, Oct 17 | Al-Diriyah vs Al-Taawoun | 19:00 | 14:00 | 11:00 |
Al Nassr team vs Al Diriyah
Al-Nassr made three changes from their 4-0 defeat at Al-Ain in the Champions League on September 15, bringing in Bento, defender Awad Aman and forward Coman.
Rakan Al-Ghamdi (knee) and Sultan Al-Ghanam were out with knee injuries and Saad Al-Nasser was on the bench following a hamstring issue.
Al-Nassr starting XI: Bento, Nawaf Boushal, Mohamed Simakan, Inigo Martinez, Awad Aman, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Samu Costa, Kingsley Coman, Sadio Mane, Joao Felix, Cristiano Ronaldo
Al-Nassr substitutes: Abdulrahman Al-Otaibi, Nader Al-Sharari, Majed Qasheesh, Saad Al-Nasser, Sami Al-Naji, Sufiany, Ayman Yahya, Saad Haqawi, Abdullah Al-Hamdan
Al Diriyah team vs Al Nassr
Abdullah replaced injured goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj in one of three alterations for Al-Diriyah from their 0-0 draw at home to Abha on September 13.
Defenders Hussain Al Sibyani and Qasem Lajami also came in.
Al-Diriyah starting XI: Waleed Abdullah, Abdulaziz Al-Faraj, Berat Djimsiti, Chancel Mbemba, Hussain Al Sibyani, Idrissa Gueye, Qasem Lajami, Enzo Millot, Oscar Rodriguez, Adil Boulbina, Darwin Nunez
Al-Diriyah substitutes: Mansour Al-Subiani, Saeed Al-Rabiei, Khalid Al-Asiri, Taher Wadi, Mohammed Dhiban, Sultan Al-Farhan, Hussain Al-Qahtani, Lovro Chelfi, Meshari Al-Nemer
Al-Nassr v Al Diriyah stats
- Al-Nassr have a perfect home record this season (W4), with Ronaldo scoring once in each of the last three of those matches
- They have scored in each of their last 95 league games, although they were beaten 4-0 at Al-Ain in the Champions League in their previous match
- Since a 4-0 win at Al-Riyadh in the division on 21 August, Al-Nassr had gone six matches in all competitions without a clean sheet before this game
- Only Al-Hilal (+18) and Al-Qadsiah (+13) have a better goal difference in the division than Al-Nassr (+12, F19 A7)
- Before the latest round of fixtures, only second-placed Al-Ahli could match Al-Diriyah’s defensive record of five goals conceded in this season’s top flight, with those sides two of four to have shipped fewer than Al-Nassr (7)
- Since losing 4-1 at home to Al-Nassr in the King Cup on August 18, Al-Diriyah’s only other defeat had come at home to leaders Al-Qadsiah (W3 D2)
- Their only previous meeting with Al-Nassr had been an away game in the King Cup last-32 in January 2016, losing 7-0 as Adrian Mierzejewski scored a hat-trick
- Despite conceding the most goals of any team in the second tier last season (39 in 34 matches), Al-Diriyah finished third before coming from behind in the play-off final to beat Al-Ula after extra time
- Only Abha’s Sylla Sow and Al-Orobah’s Simy (27 each) bettered Al-Diriyah forward Gaetan Laborde’s total of 26 goals during that campaign
- Al-Raed’s Zinho Gano (3) was the only player to score more hat-tricks in last season’s second tier than Frenchman Laborde (2), hitting trebles against Al-Adalah and Jeddah
