Cristiano Ronaldo faces competition from Ivan Toney and Joao Felix for 2025-26 SPL Player of the Season award

Cristiano Ronaldo has been nominated for the Player of the Season award in the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League after another standout campaign at Al Nassr. However, the Portuguese legend will face stiff competition from Al Ahli’s Ivan Toney and his own teammate Joao Felix in the race for the honor.

On Sunday, the Saudi Pro League published its 2025-26 Season Awards nominees on its official website, with Ronaldo once again among those in the running for the top individual prize of the campaign.

Alongside the Player of the Season, the other categories up for grabs include Saudi Player of the Season, Manager of the Season and Best Young Talent of the Season. Voting opened on Sunday, with the winners set to be revealed once the league season concludes.

As with the previous edition, the voting breakdown has already been established. The head coaches and captains of all 18 SPL clubs will each account for 40 percent of the overall vote, the Kingdom’s leading sports journalists will contribute 15 percent, and fans of the league will make up the remaining 5 percent.

Ronaldo will have the chance to potentially clinch the SPL title when Al Nassr host Damac FC on Thursday, May 21, in what could be the day he ends the club’s long trophy drought. The following day, Friday, May 22, following the conclusion of the final matchweek, the award winners will be officially announced.

Cristiano Ronaldo and the competition for SPL Player of the Season

Since his arrival in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo has consistently been one of the most impactful players in the league, and this season has been no different, with his performances at the heart of Al Nassr’s push for the title. On an individual level, the 41-year-old has posted 26 goals and three assists across 29 games, placing him among the leaders in direct goal contributions.

The competition, however, is fierce. Al Ahli’s Ivan Toney currently leads the SPL scoring charts with 32 goals and six assists in 31 games, while Mexican international Julian Quiñones has registered 30 goals and four assists in 30 appearances for Al Qadsiah. Joao Felix, Ronaldo’s Al Nassr teammate, rounds out the standout candidates with 20 goals and 13 assists across 32 games, a combination of goalscoring and creativity that makes him a compelling contender.

One potential advantage for the Al Nassr duo is the trend established by recent award winners. Karim Benzema claimed the Player of the Season in 2024-25 and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic in 2023-24, with both Al Ittihad and Al Hilal producing those winners respectively. The pattern suggests that team success carries significant weight with voters, which could tip the balance in favor of players from a title-winning side.

SPL Awards: categories and nominees

Player of the Season

• Ivan Toney (Al Ahli)
• Julian Quiñones (Al Qadsiah)
• Ruben Neves (Al Hilal)
• Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr)
• Joao Felix (Al Nassr)

Best Young Talent of the Season

• Hammam Al Hammami (Al Shabab)
• Abdulaziz Al Elewa (Al Kholood)
• Abdulaziz Al Suwailem (Al Fateh)
• Sabri Dahal (Al Fayha)
• Sultan Harun (Al Riyadh)

Manager of the Season

• Jorge Jesus (Al Nassr)
• Matthias Jaissle (Al Ahli)
• Brendan Rodgers (Al Qadsiah)
• Simone Inzaghi (Al Hilal)
• Saad Al Shehri (Al Ettifaq)

Saudi Player of the Season

• Salem Al Dawsari (Al Hilal)
• Khalid Al Ghannam (Al Ettifaq)
• Musab Al Juwayr (Al Qadsiah)
• Abdulelah Al Amri (Al Nassr)
• Hattan Bahebri (Al Kholood)