Cristiano Ronaldo could reportedly suffer a change of venue for the next game between Al Nassr and Al Hilal for the 2026-27 Saudi Pro League, moving the derby away from Al Awwal Park. Cristiano Ronaldo will once again see Al Hilal stand as his primary obstacle in pursuit of the Saudi Pro League title during the 2026-27 campaign. However, a sudden logistical shift is set to alter their upcoming showdown, as the Al Nassr captain reportedly faces a venue change that takes the marquee fixture away from Al Awwal Park. Al Nassr and Al Hilal currently sit atop the SPL table after winning all four of their opening fixtures, setting the stage for another head-to-head battle for the domestic crown. The first league derby between the two rivals was originally scheduled for Friday, December 11, with Al Nassr hosting at Al Awwal Park, but league organizers are preparing a major relocation. According to reporting from Saudi outlet Arriyadiyah, the Saudi Pro League is moving to relocate the capital derby between Al Nassr and Al Hilal to King Fahd Sports City Stadium. While the match remains in Riyadh, the venue change removes the contest from Al Nassr’s primary home ground. The initiative behind the move serves as an “operational test” for the facility ahead of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. With the continental tournament hosted across Saudi Arabia from January 7 to February 5, 2027, King Fahd Sports City Stadium is scheduled to host four matches, including the tournament final. A general view of the King Fahd International Stadium. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) King Fahd Stadium, a favorable venue for Al Hilal While the venue change has not yet been officially finalized by the league, the Saudi Pro League is expected to contact Al Nassr to coordinate logistics while maintaining the club’s administrative home-team privileges. However, King Fahd Sports City Stadium represents a favorable venue not for the nominal hosts, but for visiting rivals Al Hilal. Since Ronaldo arrived in Saudi Arabia, Al Nassr and Al Hilal have met twice at King Fahd Sports City Stadium, with Al Hilal serving as the home team on both occasions. Their first encounter on Matchday 25 of the 2022-23 SPL season resulted in a 2-0 victory for Al Hilal, followed by a commanding 3-0 win for Al Hilal on Matchday 15 of the 2023-24 campaign. Cristiano Ronaldo during the SPL match vs. Al Hilal at King Fahd International Stadium on December 1, 2023. (Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images) Al Nassr could lose a key home advantage King Fahd Sports City Stadium is reopening in late 2026 following a venue expansion that increases capacity from 58,398 to 70,200 seats, leaving Al Nassr to negotiate ticketing terms to ensure maximum home supporter allocation. Nevertheless, departing Al Awwal Park strips the squad of a distinct home-field edge based on recent domestic form. During the 2025-26 SPL season, where Ronaldo secured his first major silverware in Saudi Arabia, Al Nassr finished as the top home team in the league. Across 17 home fixtures at Al Awwal Park, the Riyadh side compiled 15 wins, one draw, and just one defeat to gather 46 points, surpassing Al Ahli’s 45-point home mark and establishing Al Awwal Park as a fortress for Ronaldo and company.
Ghareeb has already reached an agreement to remain with the Saudi giants, but there is still one major hurdle standing between that agreement and its official completion. Cristiano Ronaldo and Abdulrahman Ghareeb could have very different reasons to attract attention at Al-Nassr as the club continues to navigate a complicated transfer window. Ghareeb has already reached an agreement to remain with the Saudi giants, but there is still one major hurdle standing between that agreement and its official completion. The 29-year-old winger has previously rejected interest from domestic rivals and made his preference to stay in Riyadh clear. Now, Al-Nassr must resolve a situation involving multiple moving pieces before it can finally secure Ghareeb’s future, adding another layer of intrigue to an already difficult summer for the club. Ghareeb’s previous contract expired at the end of last season, but Al-Nassr had already reached an agreement with the 29-year-old over a new three-year deal. The extension was reportedly worth around $8 million, or approximately $2.6 million per season, yet the club was unable to immediately register the new contract because of its financial situation. According to Asharq Al-Awsat, the Saudi Pro League’s financial control committee rejected Al-Nassr’s request to register Ghareeb’s contract. A subsequent request was also rejected, even after the club received approval to sign Portuguese midfielder Samu Costa from Mallorca. Samu Costa and Mohamed Simakan of team Al Nassr That has left the Saudi international in an unusual position. He has agreed to stay, but without registration before the summer transfer window closes, he could technically leave Al-Nassr as a free agent. Two transfers hold the key The situation has now taken another turn, with reports indicating that Ghareeb’s renewal has been approved but remains conditional on two linked transfers. According to Nawaf STATS on X (formerly Twitter), the first requirement is for Al Ahli to complete the signing of Saeed Baatiah. The second is for Al Fateh to complete the signing of Ali Al Hassan as part of the wider agreement. Only when both moves are completed will Ghareeb’s renewal be fully finalized. The chain of transfers is essentially designed to create the financial room Al-Nassr needs to complete the registration. The arrangement underlines how complicated the club’s financial situation has become. Al-Nassr is relying on one transfer to help facilitate another, with Ghareeb’s future ultimately tied to the completion of deals involving Baatiah and Al Hassan. Abdulrahman Ghareeb of Al Nassr celebrates after scoring Baatiah move could unlock the situation The first part of the chain has reportedly progressed, with Baatiah’s move to Al Ahli described as completed in recent updates. Asharq Al-Awsat reported on the development, potentially bringing Al-Nassr one step closer to resolving Ghareeb’s situation. The next piece is Al Hassan’s transfer to Al Fateh. Once that move is completed, the conditions surrounding Ghareeb’s renewal should finally be satisfied, allowing Al-Nassr to officially register the winger. For the club, getting the deal over the line would be significant. The 29-year-old winger remains a valuable member of the squad and has already demonstrated his importance during major continental competition. Ghareeb joined Al-Nassr from Al Ahli in 2022 and has remained a regular contributor since arriving in Riyadh. His situation became particularly notable last winter when both Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad showed interest, but the winger ultimately chose to remain with Al-Nassr. He was also one of the club’s standout performers during the previous AFC Champions League Two campaign. Ghareeb helped the club reach the final, although Al-Nassr ultimately suffered a narrow defeat to Japan’s Gamba Osaka.
Tekke had attempted to quit in the aftermath of Trabzonspor's 5-0 defeat by Hungarian side Ferencvaros in their Europa League play-off last week, but saw his resignation blocked.
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