Cristiano Ronaldo is back in the Al Nassr squad for Friday's Saudi Pro League match against Al-Riyadh, giving the visitors a clear boost heading into Matchweek 2 on August 21, 2026.
Ronaldo had missed midweek cup action because of late pre-season preparations, but he is available again as Al Nassr continue their league campaign at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium. That matters because the team already opened the season with a 3-0 win over Al Fateh, while Al-Riyadh are trying to recover from a 4-2 loss to Al-Ettifaq.
Why the matchup matters
This is also a local rivalry with recent history heavily in Al Nassr's favor. Al Nassr beat Al-Riyadh 5-1 in late 2025, then followed that with a 1-0 win on February 2, 2026, when Sadio Mané scored in the first half. In fact, Al Nassr have won five of the previous six meetings, and the games have often produced more than 2.5 goals per match.
That combination of form and familiarity gives Al Nassr a strong platform, especially with Ronaldo back in the mix. Al-Riyadh will need a sharper performance at home to change the tone of the matchup, but the early-season context already points in different directions for the two clubs.
How to watch
The match is being carried across multiple regions, including Fox One, Fox Soccer Plus and FOX Deportes in the United States, Fubo in the United States and Canada, Thmanyah and Saudi Sports Company in the Middle East and North Africa, Shahid, DAZN in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Spain, Sportitalia in Italy, Movistar in Spain, FOX Sports LATAM and Globo in South America, Africa in selected African countries, and FanCode in India.
For Al Nassr, the headline is simple: Ronaldo is back. For Al-Riyadh, the challenge is to slow down a team that has started the season well and has controlled this matchup in recent meetings.
