Ronaldo strikes again as Al-Nassr maintain clear Saudi Pro League leadership

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates Al-Nassr's 3-1 win at NEOM. (X:@AlNassrFC_EN)
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Updated 09 November 2025
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Ronaldo strikes again as Al-Nassr maintain clear Saudi Pro League leadership

  • 3-1 win at Neom means Riyadh club with 100% record of 24 points from 8 matches

RIYADH: Al-Nassr defeated newly promoted Neom 3-1 on Saturday night to maintain their perfect start to the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League season.

The win was the Riyadh club’s eighth of the campaign and sees them top the table with 24 points, three ahead of surprise package Al-Taawoun, who had won 5-2 at Al-Fateh the previous night. Al-Hilal are in third on 20 points after beating hosts Al-Najma 4-2, also on Friday.

Al-Nassr led 1-0 at the break through Brazilian striker Angelo’s 42nd-minute opener and their night was made more comfortable when the home team had the Uruguayan Luciano Rodriguez sent off 11 minutes into the second period.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored Al-Nassr’s second from the penalty spot on 65 minutes before Ahmed Abdu halved the deficit with six minutes left. However, two minutes later Ronaldo’s fellow Portuguese forward Joao Felix made it 3-1 to end any hopes the home team had of a late comeback.

In Saturday’s other matches, reigning champions Al-Ittihad’s miserable defense of their title continued with a 1-0 loss at home to Asian champions Al-Ahli in the Jeddah derby, while Al-Ettifaq managed a 1-1 draw at Al-Shabab.


Pakistan captain rules out ‘major’ squad changes before T20 World Cup 2026

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Pakistan captain rules out ‘major’ squad changes before T20 World Cup 2026

  • T20 World Cup will take place in India in February, with Pakistan to play its matches in Sri Lanka
  • Pakistan have recorded back-to-back T20I series victories over Sri Lanka, South Africa this year

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha set his sights on winning the T20 World Cup 2026, ruling out any “major changes” to the squad before the megaevent next year. 

The 10th edition of the T20 World Cup will commence on Feb. 7 next year in India. Pakistan will play all of its matches in Sri Lanka as per a deal brokered by the ICC that allows India and Pakistan to play each other at neutral venues.

Pakistan have tried left-arm pacer Salman Mirza, brought back former captain Babar Azam to the T20I squad and tried fast bowler Naseem Shah and played several all-rounders in the squad this year, including Saim Ayub, Mohammad Nawaz and Faheem Ashraf. 

“I think our roles are defined and we need to give a chance in the next six games with consistency to this playing XI and those roles, so that we can head to the World Cup with confidence,” Agha said in a podcast with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). 

“I don’t think there will be any major changes because we were keeping this World Cup in mind since the last six to seven months in the way we were practicing or selecting the players for the team,” he added. 

Pakistan will next play a three-match T20I away series against Sri Lanka before they head to the T20 World Cup. 

The South Asian country has encountered success in white-ball matches recently, winning a tri-nation series tournament against Afghanistan and the UAE in September. 

Agha also led his team to the final of the Asia Cup later the same month which they lost to India. However, he led the Green Shirts to wins against Sri Lanka and South Africa in the T20I series against both countries at home later.