Cristiano Ronaldo is closing in on his first major trophy since joining Al-Nassr in December 2022, with the Saudi Pro League leaders five points clear of Al-Hilal and three games left. The two clubs meet next Tuesday in a match that could shape the title race and sharpen a season already heavy with complaints about refereeing and influence.
Al-Nassr’s position gives them the edge, but Al-Hilal still have a game in hand and have not lost any of their 30 matches under Simone Inzaghi. That makes next Tuesday more than a routine derby. It is the kind of fixture that can turn a lead into a title or leave the chase open for one more week.
Ronaldo helped build that cushion in Al-Nassr’s 2-0 victory over Al-Ahli on 29 April, when he scored the 970th goal of his career and Kingsley Coman struck in the last minute. It came four days after Al-Ahli won the AFC Champions League on 25 April, a reminder of how tight the pressure has been at the top of Saudi football even as the league race itself began to narrow.
That win also added fuel to a wider dispute over officiating. After the match, Ronaldo said: “I think this is not good for the league,” and added that he would speak at the end of the season because he had seen “many, many bad things.” He also said: “Everyone complains. This is football, this is not a war,” and, “We know we have to fight, everyone wants to win. But not everything is allowed.”
Ronaldo’s criticism did not come out of nowhere. He sat out two league games at the start of the year after reports said he felt the Public Investment Fund favoured Al-Hilal. Last month, the fund sold 70% of Al-Hilal to Kingdom Holding Company, a shift that came after years in which the fund had owned the league’s “Big Four” clubs. The ownership change landed just as the title race became less sprawling and more direct.
Al-Ahli have also been pulled into the argument. Ivan Toney, who has scored 27 goals for the club, and Galeno complained about refereeing and league influence after a 1-1 draw with Al-Fayha in early April, when they said penalties were not given. Al-Ahli were later fined by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation’s disciplinary and ethics committee, underscoring how openly the issue has been aired inside the league.
Toney said the referee told the players, “Focus on the AFC [Asian Football Confederation Champions League],” when they tried to speak to him, and asked: “How can the referee say this? … It’s clear what is being influenced here …” He also said: “We know who. Who are we chasing?” Galeno was even more direct, saying, “Hand over the trophy, that’s what they want,” and accusing others of trying “to knock us out of the championship by any means necessary.”
The league still has a way to run, and the biggest immediate date after next Tuesday is 16 May, when Al-Nassr are scheduled to play Gamba Osaka in the AFC Champions League Two final. For Ronaldo, the next week may define whether this season becomes the one in which the long wait finally ends.
