Al Nassr Kick Off Saudi Pro League Title Defence With Convincing Win as Cristiano Ronaldo Watches On

Cristiano Ronaldo attended the Saudi Pro League season opener alongside his family as Al Nassr successfully launched their title defence with a 3-0 victory over Al Fateh.

Angelo Gabriel and Joao Felix found the back of the net in the first half, while Samu Costa added a third in the 73rd minute to seal the win, marking Al Nassr's 300th league triumph. Ronaldo sat out the fixture after only recently returning to training following the recent World Cup in North America and his marriage to partner Georgina Rodriguez.

Following the successful start, Costa dedicated the outcome to his team and Ronaldo. “A good start. We worked hard and deserved the three points. I dedicate the victory to my family, my teammates, and Cristiano Ronaldo,” Costa stated.

Costa previously featured for the Portugal squad that advanced to the round of 16 at the recent World Cup, where they suffered a 1-0 defeat to eventual champions Spain. The result marked a notable milestone for Al Nassr manager Ange Postecoglou. The Australian manager has been charged with elevating the squad to the next level, a demanding assignment given Al Nassr's championship run last season.

The former Spurs boss expressed satisfaction with the opening performance and noted the team's strong mentality despite Ronaldo's absence. “Cristiano is here today, and he is always present with us,” Postecoglou remarked during his post-match press conference. “The most important thing now is recovery, especially as we have only two days after this match, and afterwards we will determine the decision on the players’ participation according to their readiness.”

“As I said before the match, we have a strong team, and there are important players who did not take part today. But what matters to me is that all the players who did take part, whether they started the match or came on during it, delivered a wonderful performance.”

In earlier action, Al Hilal opened their campaign with a 4-2 triumph over promoted Al Faisaly. Ruben Neves scored twice and claimed the player of the match award, though he admitted the performance lacked a clinical edge.

“First 45 minutes, we just controlled all the game,” Portugal international Neves explained. “Second half, we dropped a little bit the quality – we dropped a little bit the focus – and, in this league, it's not allowed any more to go down and to drop in these statistics. We need to improve. We cannot concede two goals playing at home, winning 3-0, controlling all the game.”