Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr suddenly at major disadvantage in Saudi Pro League as rivals Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli, and Al-Ittihad pull ahead

Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr are heading into a crucial period of the Saudi Pro League campaign, with the club facing a situation that could have major consequences for its ambitions. While several of its biggest rivals continue to strengthen their squads, Al-Nassr has been left watching from the sidelines as the gap around the top of Saudi soccer grows increasingly noticeable.

The major disadvantage facing Al-Nassr is financial, with the club operating under restrictions imposed by the Saudi Pro League‘s Financial Monitoring Committee. The restrictions are reportedly linked to debts exceeding 800 million Saudi riyals, or around $213 million, stemming from previous spending commitments.

According to multiple Saudi outlets, the Public Investment Fund, which owns Al-Nassr, has tightened financial controls around the club. The executive management must therefore demonstrate that sufficient funds are available through revenue or other sources before making further significant additions to the squad.

That has made the current transfer window particularly difficult for a team with title ambitions. Al-Nassr has been largely prevented from registering new players, leaving Ronaldo’s side unable to match the recruitment pace of its biggest competitors.

Samu Costa is the major exception

There has been one significant exception to the restrictions. Portuguese midfielder Samu Costa joined Al-Nassr from Real Mallorca in early August for a reported fee of around $25.6 million, but further business has proved considerably more complicated.

Even retaining existing players has presented challenges. Saudi winger Abdulrahman Ghareeb’s expired contract has reportedly been caught up in the same financial and registration issues, with potential player departures among the factors that could create additional room for Al-Nassr.

Rivals continue to strengthen with European stars

The biggest concern for Al-Nassr is the growing gap in recruitment activity. While the club featuring Ronaldo has struggled to make significant additions, Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad have continued strengthening their squads with established names from European soccer, adding further quality to an already star-studded Saudi Pro League.

That recruitment strategy has transformed the league in recent seasons, with Saudi clubs increasingly competing for players who have spent years performing at the highest level in Europe. The ability of Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad to keep adding elite talent could become particularly significant as Al-Nassr attempts to defend its title.

Al-Ahli has been especially aggressive in building a squad around its international stars, combining major overseas arrivals, such as Francisco Trincao and Eduard Spertsyan, with an increasingly competitive domestic core. Al-Hilal, meanwhile, continues to possess one of the strongest squads in the country, consisting of new arriving trio Gabriel Martinelli, Crysencio Summerville, and Ollie Watkins. What’s more, Al-Ittihad remains another major force in the transfer market, after bringing in Jan-Carlo Simic, Dion Lopy, and Richard Rios.

The contrast is particularly frustrating for supporters because Al-Nassr is coming off a title-winning campaign and has Ronaldo as the centerpiece of its project. With rivals adding experienced European talent, concerns have naturally emerged over whether the current squad possesses enough depth to remain competitive throughout another demanding season.