Cristiano Ronaldo Loses Saudi Pro League Award To Al Nassr Teammate

Photo by Fayez NURELDINE / AFP via Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo Loses Saudi Pro League Award To Al Nassr Teammate

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Farah Ben Gamra | Last updated May 23, 2026 7:09 AM ET

Cristiano Ronaldo may have finally lifted the Saudi Pro League title with Al Nassr, but the season’s top individual honor went to his own teammate João Félix.

Instead, it was his teammate João Félix who walked away with the Player of the Season award, announced just a day after both players helped Al Nassr clinch the league title.

Al Nassr wrapped up the title with a 4-1 win over Damac, finishing 2 points ahead of Al Hilal. Ronaldo played a huge part in sealing it, scoring twice in that final match to bring his season tally to 28 goals at 41 years old.

But Félix’s overall influence across the campaign was hard to ignore. He scored 20 league goals, but more importantly, he topped the assist charts with 13, constantly setting up chances and dictating the tempo in attack.

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It was his first season in Saudi Arabia after joining from Chelsea for a reported €30 million, and he settled in quickly as a central figure in Jorge Jesus’ system.

After the title win, Félix spoke about how much trust he felt from the coach. “Playing football makes me happy,” he said. “The coach gave me so much confidence, he put me in a role to lead the team.”

That trust clearly paid off. He beat out strong competition for the award, including Ivan Toney and Julián Quiñones, both of whom were among the league’s top scorers.

Even Al Nassr head coach Jorge Jesus had a major moment of his own, being named Coach of the Season after guiding the club to the title. He later confirmed he would be leaving his role after fulfilling what he described as his mission. "This is a victory for everyone, and especially for Cristiano, because he had not yet won any title in Saudi Arabia," Jesus said.

For Ronaldo, though, it’s still a huge season, and his first major trophy in Saudi Arabia. The individual prize just ended up in the hands of the teammate who quietly shaped so much of it.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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