RIYADH, May 8, 2026, 22:05 (AST)
Joao Felix fired in a hat-trick—three goals on the night—while Cristiano Ronaldo hit his 100th Saudi Pro League goal as Al Nassr took down Al Shabab 4-2 on Thursday. The win pushes Al Nassr back to a five-point cushion over Al Hilal at the top of the Saudi title race.
This result carries weight, with the upcoming clash likely to decide it all. Al Nassr welcome Al Hilal on May 12—if they pull off a win, it’s their first league crown since 2019. But if Al Hilal take the points, the title chase swings right back to them, leaving two games to play.
The table’s packed at the top: Al Nassr sit on 82 points after 32 games, with Al Hilal—still undefeated—holding 77 from 31. Al Ahli trail at 72, and Al Qadsiah have 68. Only the Riyadh giants are left in this year’s title race.
Felix wasted little time, pouncing in the third minute after Al Shabab couldn’t clear Sadio Mane’s cross. Seven minutes on, he nodded home Abdulrahman Ghareeb’s delivery for his second. Carrasco clawed one back before the break. Ronaldo pushed the gap back to two after halftime, but Ali Al Bulayhi cut it to 3-2. Felix then sealed it from the spot in stoppage time.
Al Nassr’s Jorge Jesus wasn’t looking to broaden the conversation. “Ronaldo is always dangerous going forward,” the coach said. He pointed to “small details” as potential swing factors in the derby. Geo Super
Ronaldo didn’t mince words. “What a win tonight!!! Let’s keep going!!” he posted on X after the match. X (formerly Twitter)
The result brought some stability back to Al Nassr, who had stumbled after a 16-game league win streak was snapped by a 3-1 defeat at Al Qadsiah. Earlier, Al Hilal’s 2-1 rally past Al Khaleej had narrowed the margin to just two points ahead of the Al Shabab contest.
The risk hasn’t gone anywhere. Al Hilal haven’t lost yet, with a game in hand coming up against Neom on May 16. If they take down Al Nassr and sweep their last matches, they’ll end up first.
The derby kicks off Tuesday at 10 p.m. local at Al Awwal Park. Al Hilal are looking to stretch their Saudi championship tally to 21, a record, as Al Nassr attempt to secure a 10th title—their first since seven years ago.
Ronaldo, now 41, has his own reasons for pushing hard: since arriving at Al Nassr in late 2022, he hasn’t lifted any major trophies with the team. Al Nassr, for their part, are set for the AFC Champions League Two final on May 16.
