Benrahma follows Ronaldo’s lead by sharing Roshn Saudi League award

Neom forward Said Benrahma followed Cristiano Ronaldo’s example by giving away his Player of the Match award after his side’s 2-1 win over Al-Diriyah in the Roshn Saudi League.

Neom secured victory at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh on Friday, 06 November 2026, in the 12th round of the competition.

Benrahma opened the scoring from the penalty spot and was named the game’s outstanding player after an impressive display. However, the Algeria international chose not to keep the award for himself, instead calling over his Neom team-mate Alexandre Lacazette to share it.

Lacazette, the former Arsenal striker, scored Neom’s second goal as they completed the win over Al-Diriyah.

The gesture echoed one made by Ronaldo earlier in the current Roshn Saudi League season. The Al-Nassr captain was the first player to relinquish the Player of the Match award in the campaign, handing it to team-mate Abdullah Al-Hamdan after a 3-1 victory against Al-Faisaly last Friday.

That match was played in the 11th round of the league.

Ronaldo’s decision has already prompted criticism from Saudi football legend Sami Al-Jaber. The former player objected to the action being repeated during the current season, describing it as a “fashion” that needed to be addressed.

Benrahma’s decision to share the award with Lacazette came after both players made decisive contributions to Neom’s latest league victory. The Algerian scored from the spot, while Lacazette found the net to produce the goal that secured the three points.

The result came at Al-Awwal Park in the Saudi capital, where Neom overcame Al-Diriyah by a single goal in the 12th-round fixture.