Al-Nassr Crowned Champions of Saudi Arabia Again

Al-Nassr are champions of Saudi Arabia again. After seven long years, the trophy is back in yellow hands.

On a tense Riyadh night, in the derby they simply had to win, Al-Nassr edged Al-Hilal 1-0 to seal the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League title. One goal was enough, and it came from an unlikely name in the spotlight: former Strasbourg defender Mohamed Simakan.

His strike settled a match loaded with narrative. A city divided, a title on the line, and a league transformed by superstar arrivals. When Simakan’s effort found the net, it did more than decide a derby. It effectively closed the door on the chasing pack.

The win pushed Al-Nassr eight points clear of Karim Benzema’s side with only two games left. The maths is simple now: no one can catch them. The Big Yellow, as their fans proudly call them, can finally breathe and celebrate a tenth Saudi league crown.

This one carries a particular weight. It is their first since Cristiano Ronaldo arrived in 2022, the title that had been expected, demanded, and chased season after season. Now it is real, etched into the club’s history rather than just projected onto billboards and social feeds.

For Ronaldo, it is another domestic league conquered, another country added to a list that already includes the Premier League with Manchester United, La Liga with Real Madrid, and Serie A with Juventus. At 40-plus, he remains a central figure in a team built to win now, not just to sell shirts.

The narrative around Al-Nassr since his signing has often revolved around global attention, commercial pull, and the wider project of Saudi football. On this night, it was about something more traditional, more pure: a title race finished, a rival beaten, a trophy secured.

A decade-marking championship for Al-Nassr. A fresh line on Ronaldo’s staggering résumé. And, with summer approaching, a question hangs in the air: has he timed this surge perfectly for one more shot at glory with Portugal?