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Saudi Pro League referees have been accused of favoring Al Nassr by a frustrated opponent following a 2–0 defeat on Wednesday, a result that moved Cristiano Ronaldo's side one step closer to securing the 2025–26 championship.
Ronaldo has yet to lift major silverware since joining Al Nassr on the world's highest soccer salary at the beginning of 2023. There is a certain irony in the fact that the five-time Ballon d'Or holder effectively staged a walkout earlier in 2026 over what he perceived as insufficient squad investment.
The Saudi Pro League continues to battle credibility concerns given that its four biggest clubs—Al Nassr, Al Ittihad, Al Hilal, Al Ahli—are all majority-owned by a single entity: the country's sovereign wealth fund (PIF). While PIF clubs are permitted to attract private investment, Ronaldo appeared unhappy when former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema departed Al Ittihad for Al Nassr's chief rivals, Al Hilal, in February.
The victory over Al Ahli this week opened a 13-point gap between Al Nassr and the third-placed side, who hold a game in hand. The deficit to second-place Al Hilal, who also have a game in hand, now stands at eight points.
However, following late strikes from Ronaldo and former Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman that sealed a tense win over Al Ahli, defender Merih Demiral launched a scathing attack on Al Nassr and the match officials.
Integrity of Saudi Pro League Further Questioned
🗣️ "ميريح ديميرال" لحظة خروجه:
"التحكيم مجنون والله..
شاهدوا شاهدوا الإصابة في رجلي!
في كل الأشياء يحاولون مساعدة النصر لتحقيق البطولات.. والله العظيم عيب والله العظيم دائمًا ما يدفعون النصر لتحقيق الألقاب.
لكن الحمدلله.. الأهلي دائمًا يفوز بدون مساعدة أحد."#النصر_الأهلي https://t.co/3LIOJjD5uy pic.twitter.com/Lc8gVbxP2S
"It's obvious the referees are helping Al Nassr—they want them to win," said Demiral, who joined Al Ahli from Atalanta in 2023, leaving reporters visibly taken aback.
Pointing to a challenge by Coman that was punished with only a yellow card deep in stoppage time with the result already settled, an enraged Demiral shouted: "Check my foot, he nearly broke it." The incident triggered a mass confrontation involving players from both teams.
Having been spotted arguing with Ronaldo and Coman before exiting the field, Demiral continued, "We always win our games without any help. We will stay at the top."
Demiral was not the first Al Ahli player to suggest that Al Nassr—and Ronaldo in particular—receive preferential treatment. Wenderson Galeno had stated ahead of the match, which was charged with tension throughout, that there is only "one person" the league is backing as champion this season.
Ivan Toney also raised doubts about the integrity of match officials earlier this month, after Al Ahli felt clear refereeing mistakes denied them victory in a draw against Al Fayha. Toney claimed the match referee Mohammed Sami Al-Ismail told him to "focus on the AFC," a reference to the AFC Champions League.
"We know who. Who are we chasing?" Toney said in early April. "Hopefully we get some decisions, fair ones. If we have good referees and we play how we normally play, and decisions go our way, we have a good chance." Ronaldo appeared to deliberately celebrate in Toney's face on Wednesday.
Al Ahli went on to claim the AFC title for the second consecutive time this month, being crowned Asia's top club once again. Demiral made a point of highlighting this, bringing his latest medal to the stadium. "For the first time, there is a Champions League medal in their stadium," he declared.
Cristiano Ronaldo Responds to Al Ahli Fury
YALLA!! WE ARE AL NASSR!! ✈️🤷🏽♂️💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/Ww4Ew01w4y
Al Ahli supporters taunted Ronaldo during a post-match pitch-side interview, reminding him of their AFC dominance. The Portuguese star responded by pointing to his chest and raising five fingers, a nod to his five UEFA Champions League titles.
In his own social media post following the game, Ronaldo focused on celebrating the vital Al Nassr victory. "YALLA," he wrote on X. "WE ARE AL NASSR!!"
Al Nassr have just four matches remaining in the 34-game season. The 2025–26 title is firmly within their grasp, though the job is not yet complete.
A single additional win would be enough to mathematically eliminate Al Ahli from the title race. However, Al Hilal pose a far greater threat, and the two sides are still set to meet in a potentially title-defining clash.
Both clubs play twice before that pivotal showdown on May 12. Should the gap still stand at eight points by then, even a draw would be sufficient for Al Nassr to be crowned Saudi champions for the first time since 2018–19—and for the 11th time in their history.
Ronaldo's side have not dropped a single league point since their defeat to Al Hilal on Jan. 12, reeling off 16 consecutive wins to collect a perfect 48 points from 48.