Cristiano Ronaldo has missed out on the Saudi Pro League Player of the Season award, with the prize going to his Al Nassr and Portugal team-mate Joao Felix.
Ronaldo scored twice as Al Nassr beat Damac 4-1 on the final day of the season on Thursday, clinching the £177million-a-year forward his first league title since joining the club more than three years ago.
Despite finishing third in the scoring charts with 28 goals – behind Julian Quinones (33) and Ivan Toney (32), and ahead of Felix’s 20 – it appears the former Chelsea forward has been recognised for his all-round contribution.
Felix also registered 13 assists in the Saudi Pro League this season, more than any other player, proving decisive as the Riyadh side secured their 11th league title and their first since 2018-19.
Al Nassr had missed the opportunity to seal the championship a week earlier following a stoppage-time error from Brazil goalkeeper Bento, which led to a 1-1 draw against Al Hilal. They then suffered a shock home defeat to Gamba Osaka in the AFC Champions League Two final last weekend.
However, Jorge Jesus’ side ultimately got the job done against strugglers Damac at the King Saud University Stadium, with former Liverpool winger Sadio Mane – who also scored – and Felix lining up alongside Ronaldo.
Joao Felix has been awarded Saudi Pro League Player of the Season after 33 goal involvements in 33 appearances – ahead of his club team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo
Felix proved decisive as the Riyadh side secured their 11th league title – and their first since 2018-19
The victory sealed the title on 86 points, two clear of record 21-time champions Al Hilal.
Felix joined Al Nassr last summer after a disappointing second spell, during which he made 20 appearances for Enzo Maresca’s side in the first half of the season, starting just three Premier League games before leaving for AC Milan on loan in January 2025.
At the time of his departure, he remained the third most expensive transfer of all time, having cost Atletico Madrid £113m when he joined from Benfica as a 19-year-old in 2019. He has since dropped to fourth following Alexander Isak’s British-record £125m move from Newcastle to Liverpool last summer.
At Benfica, Felix became the youngest player to score a Europa League hat-trick, achieving the feat against Eintracht Frankfurt in a quarter-final, and scored 20 goals in 43 appearances across all competitions to help secure the league title in his debut season as a teenager.
Felix went on to represent European heavyweights including Barcelona, AC Milan and Chelsea, although he never scored more than 10 goals in a single season, leading to a sense that he had fallen short of the immense potential he showed early in his career.
There is now a growing feeling that Felix is beginning to fulfil that promise following his move to Al Nassr at the age of 25 – a decision many had viewed as a premature step away from elite European football.
Last week, Felix was named in Portugal’s squad for his second World Cup, set to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico in less than three weeks’ time.
Portugal’s announcement also included a tribute to Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash last summer, with the national team posting: ‘The 27+1 carrying the World Cup dream to the Americas.’
Last week, Felix was named in Portugal’s squad for his second World Cup, set to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico in less than three weeks’ time
Forty-one-year-old Ronaldo, meanwhile, is set to play in a record sixth World Cup.
Portugal boss Roberto Martinez said earlier this month: ‘We manage the Cristiano Ronaldo that plays for the national team trying to get into the squad for 2026, not the iconic figure.
‘Age is only a number. Certainly in the national team we can measure exactly what’s happening on the day, and you make the decisions for the next day. You never look any longer than the next day.
‘Now we’ve got five substitutions. It’s almost like we’ve got a starting team and a finishing team. There is no distinction. There are different roles and Cristiano has always accepted his role.’
Martinez is expected to stand down from his post at the end of the tournament after three years in charge, and reports have been speculating that Al Nassr are targeting a move for the Spanish coach following the departure of Jorge Jesus.
