Al Nassr’s Nine-Day Title Reckoning: Three Fixtures That Will Define the 2026-26 RSL Season
Al Nassr Title Run 2026 — 3 Games, 9 Days
- Al Nassr lead the RSL on 76 points, eight clear of Al Hilal with five rounds left.
- Three back-to-back fixtures — Al Ahli (H), Al Qadsiah (A), Al Shabab (A) — decide the title in nine days.
- Ronaldo, Joao Felix, and Kingsley Coman powered a club-record 15-game RSL winning run.
- A first Saudi Pro League title since 2019 is within reach if Jorge Jesus’s side stay unbeaten.
Fifteen straight Saudi Pro League wins. Nineteen in all competitions. An eight-point cushion at the summit with only five matchweeks to go. On paper, Al Nassr’s path to a first RSL title since 2019 has never looked clearer.
But Jorge Jesus knows better than anyone that paper means nothing when the fixtures hit.
Starting with today’s top-of-the-table clash against Al Ahli at Al-Awwal Park, Al Nassr enter the most compressed and consequential nine days of their season a sequence that will either confirm them as champions or reopen a race the Saudi Pro League deserves. For every Riyadh events fan tracking the title, this is the moment they’ve been waiting for.
The Stakes: What 76 Points and Five Games Left Actually Means
Al Nassr currently sit on 76 points. Al Hilal, their closest rivals, are on 64 but crucially, hold a game in hand. Al Ahli are third on 62 points, and Al Qadsiah now fading are fourth.
The math is brutal in its simplicity. Win all three of the upcoming fixtures and the title conversation effectively ends before the Capital Derby against Al Hilal on May 12. Drop points in any one of them and the race stays alive into the final week.
Al Hilal play relegation-threatened Damac this week before Al Nassr host Al Ahli. If Simone Inzaghi’s side win, the gap temporarily shrinks to five points and the psychological weight of a packed Al-Awwal Park shifts from momentum to obligation.
Fixture 1 Al Nassr vs Al Ahli (April 29, Al-Awwal Park, Riyadh)
The timing could not be more layered. Al Ahli arrive in Riyadh 48 hours after retaining the AFC Champions League Elite title back-to-back Asian champions, riding a wave of continental euphoria.
Matthias Jaissle’s squad beat Machida Zelvia in the final to secure their second successive continental crown. For Al Nassr, that could cut both ways.
On one hand, Al Ahli are flying in confidence. On the other, history shows that post-continental hangovers are real after last year’s ACL Elite triumph, Al Ahli lost two of their next four domestic fixtures.
Al Nassr’s recent league record against Al Ahli also provides comfort. Aside from a 3-2 defeat in Jeddah back in January their very first RSL loss of the season Jesus’s side had been unbeaten against Al Ahli in seven straight meetings before that result.
One further context point matters: in that January fixture at Alinma Stadium, Al Nassr were without key players. This time, they are in full flow, riding a 15-game winning streak with Ronaldo, Joao Felix, and Kingsley Coman all in form.
Get the details on tickets and matchday logistics at Al Nassr vs Al Hilal Capital Derby tickets — the May 12 fixture that could follow as a title-sealer.
Fixture 2 Al Qadsiah vs Al Nassr (Away, ~May 2-3)
Three games without a win has all but ended Al Qadsiah’s own title ambitions. But Brendan Rodgers’s side have a clear new objective: secure continental qualification after the AFC confirmed an expanded allocation of Saudi slots for next season’s Champions League Elite.
That motivation makes Al Qadsiah dangerous. Julian Quinones who pounced on a Nawaf Al Aqidi error to put Al Qadsiah 1-0 up the last time these sides met in January remains one of the RSL’s most clinical strikers.
Al Nassr lost to Al Qadsiah in that January fixture, part of a three-game losing run that temporarily cost them top spot. The memory of that sequence is exactly why this trip cannot be treated as routine.
See the full Al Qadsiah FC page for squad depth and fixture context.
Fixture 3 Al Shabab vs Al Nassr (Away, May 7, Al-Awwal Park)
The fixture order changed after Al Nassr qualified for the AFC Champions League Two final against Gamba Osaka on May 16. The Al Hilal and Al Shabab matches were flipped, bringing the Riyadh derby against Al Shabab forward to May 7.
Al Shabab sit 12th in the table. That means nothing at the end of a long season when Noureddine Ben Zekri has built real momentum since taking charge. Yannick Carrasco has been outstanding all campaign. Abderrazak Hamdallah is chasing Omar Al Somah in the RSL all-time scoring charts. Rising Jordanian forward Ali Al Azaizeh adds further attacking bite.
Al Nassr haven’t lost to Al Shabab in their last eight RSL meetings but every single one has been decided by fine margins. Earlier this season, it took a late goal from Abdulrahman Ghareeb to seal a 3-2 win. The previous season saw a 2-2 draw. This is not a fixture Al Nassr will walk through.
Check out the current Al Nassr vs Al Shabab preview for historical H2H breakdown.
The Ghost of January: Why Al Nassr Cannot Afford Complacency
The reason this nine-day run carries such weight is directly tied to what happened between January and March.
At the start of 2026, Al Nassr faced almost the identical sequence Al Ahli away, Al Qadsiah at home, then Al Hilal away. They lost all three. That run briefly handed control of the title race to their rivals and sparked serious questions about Jesus’s side.
The response was emphatic. Fifteen straight RSL wins. Nineteen in all competitions. A record that would grace any club in European football this season.
But the echoes remain. And the opponents are the same.
Ronaldo, Felix, Coman: The Attacking Trident That Must Deliver
Cristiano Ronaldo a two-time RSL golden boot winner has played through illness and minor niggles to keep Al Nassr’s momentum alive. At 41, his output in this title run has been central to everything Jesus has built.
Joao Felix, who joined on a permanent deal this summer, has been among the RSL’s most dynamic players. After a goal drought of 14 matches through 2026, he exploded back into form at Al Khaleej with a brace and an assist — becoming the first player this season to reach double figures in both goals and assists.
Kingsley Coman, meanwhile, has elevated his game to another level entirely. His hat-trick in the AFC Champions League Two semi-final against Al Ahli (a different Qatari Al Ahli the RSL’s Al Ahli is from Jeddah) was the defining continental performance of Al Nassr’s season.
Sadio Mane rounds out an attack that, on its day, is the most complete in the Saudi Pro League.
Track Ronaldo’s fitness updates via Ronaldo Al Nassr availability.
The Bigger Picture: Al Hilal’s Game in Hand
The game in hand is Al Hilal’s most significant remaining leverage. Simone Inzaghi’s side are unbeaten with 19 wins and seven draws a consistency record that is, by any measure, elite.
If Al Nassr stumble and Al Hilal win theirs, the gap could close to two or three points going into the penultimate matchweek. That would make the Capital Derby on May 12 already a fixture of enormous weight — an outright title decider.
The Capital Derby preview is live at Al Nassr vs Al Hilal — May 2026. Follow for tickets and matchday details.
What Happens if Al Nassr Win All Three?
Simple: the title race is over before it reaches Kingdom Arena.
Win vs Al Ahli, win at Al Qadsiah, win at Al Shabab, and Al Nassr will enter the May 12 Capital Derby with a lead that no conceivable combination of Al Hilal results can bridge.
A first Saudi Pro League title in seven years. The Ronaldo fairytale a player who joined in late 2022 and made winning the RSL his explicit mission finally completed.
That is what nine days can deliver.
Al Nassr’s Remaining RSL Fixtures
| Round | Opponent | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| MW30 | Al Ahli | Home (Al-Awwal Park) | 29 Apr 2026 |
| MW31 | Al Qadsiah | Away | ~3 May 2026 |
| MW32 | Al Shabab | Away | 7 May 2026 |
| MW33 | Al Hilal | Away (Kingdom Arena) | 12 May 2026 |
| MW34 | TBC | Home | 21 May 2026 |
How to Watch
The RSL is broadcast across MENA on SSC Sport (Saudi Sports Company). International viewers can access coverage via Fubo Sports, FOX Sports 2, and the Saudi Pro League’s official YouTube channel in select territories. Streaming options in India run through FanCode exclusively.
FAQ
Can Al Nassr still win the RSL title in 2026?
Yes. Al Nassr lead the table on 76 points with five games remaining eight ahead of second-placed Al Hilal. Wins in their next three fixtures would virtually guarantee a first title since 2019.
Who are Al Nassr’s key players in the title run?
Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Felix, Kingsley Coman, and Sadio Mane are Al Nassr’s core attacking quartet. Midfielder Marcelo Brozovic provides the platform, while Angelo Gabriel has been an important creative outlet.
When is the Al Nassr vs Al Hilal Capital Derby?
The Capital Derby potentially the title decider is scheduled for May 12, 2026 at Kingdom Arena. It forms part of the penultimate matchweek (MW33) of the 2025-26 RSL season.
Why were Al Nassr’s final fixtures rearranged?
Al Nassr qualified for the AFC Champions League Two final against Gamba Osaka, scheduled for May 16. The SPL rearranged the Al Hilal and Al Shabab fixtures to accommodate the minimum rest period requirements.
What was Al Nassr’s worst moment of the 2025-26 RSL season?
A three-match losing run in January defeats to Al Ahli, Al Qadsiah, and Al Hilal temporarily cost them top spot. Their response was a club-record 15-game RSL winning streak.