Ronaldo & Toney lead nominees for Saudi Pro League Player of the Season

Al Nassr v Gamba Osaka: AFC Champions League 2

The Saudi Pro League have officially unveiled the five-man shortlist for the prestigious 2025-26 Player of the Season award. As a dramatic title race between Al Nassr and Al Hilal reaches its climax on the final day, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ivan Toney headline the nominations alongside Joao Felix, Julian Quinones, and Ruben Neves in a competitive year.

A fierce title battle on the final day

The 2025-26 award nominations arrive amid a fiercely contested title battle. Heading into the final fixtures on Thursday, Al Nassr have established a slender advantage at the summit with 83 points, sitting exactly two points ahead of an unbeaten Al Hilal side. The leaders face Damac, knowing a victory will secure the championship, while their rivals face a tough test against Al Fayha. The pressure is entirely on the table-toppers to hold their nerve, as any slip-up could allow the second-placed challengers to snatch the crown at the very last moment.

Ronaldo and Felix pursue domestic glory

Cristiano Ronaldo remains the standard-bearer for Al Nassr as they pursue domestic glory. The veteran has netted 26 goals this season, recently becoming just the third player in the modern era to score 100 goals in the Pro League. Earning seven Man of the Match awards, Ronaldo is seen as the frontrunner for the Player of the Season gong.

Crucially, he needs a final day victory to claim his first major trophy for Al-Nassr since he joined on January 1, 2023. He is joined among the nominees by team-mate Joao Felix, who has enjoyed a stunning debut season at the club. Earning a record three hat-tricks for a registered midfielder, Felix also leads the assist charts with 12 and sits joint-second in goal contributions.

Toney and remaining stars complete the shortlist

Toney has enjoyed a sensational year with Al-Ahli, hitting 32 goals in 31 league games. Toney has scored four hat-tricks and collected nine Man of the Match awards. Meanwhile, Al-Qadsiah have their own star in Quinones, who joined the 30-goal club for the season to become his side's all-time top flight scorer with 50 goals, while also earning 13 Man of the Match awards. Furthermore, Ruben Neves orchestrates Al Hilal's midfield, becoming the first player to exceed 2,000 passes and leading everyone in dangerous passes. To ensure fairness among these five stars, the league stated: "To be eligible for this award, a player must have participated in at least 40 percent of their team's total matches during the 2025-26 Roshn Saudi League, regardless of playing position or nationality."

Al Nassr v Gamba Osaka: AFC Champions League 2

Redeeming continental heartbreak

The dramatic conclusion on Thursday will ultimately dictate the season's honours. Following a devastating 1-0 defeat to Gamba Osaka in the AFC Champions League 2 final on Saturday, Al-Nassr are desperate for redemption. If they successfully defeat Damac, the domestic triumph will ease their recent continental heartbreak and spark massive celebrations across Riyadh - and in the Ronaldo household.