Sadio Mane joins Al-Nassr’s Portugal build-up as new season draws closer

Sadio Mane has joined Al-Nassr’s training camp in Portugal, just days after ending his international career with Senegal and turning his full attention to the Saudi club’s preparations for the 2026-27 season.

The forward arrived at the team’s base as Al-Nassr continued assembling its squad ahead of the new campaign. The club shared photographs of Mane’s arrival on its official account on X, welcoming him with the slogan “ابو امنة” – the nickname that has become closely associated with the Senegal international among Al-Nassr supporters.

Mane’s return to club duty comes less than a week after he announced his decision to retire from international football. The 2026 World Cup marked the end of his time with Senegal, who were eliminated by Belgium in the round of 32.

Following that defeat, Mane made clear that he did not intend to step away from football altogether. Instead, the 2026-27 campaign with Al-Nassr will now become his central focus after he chose to bring his Senegal career to a close.

His arrival in Portugal gives Al-Nassr another of its overseas players as the club continues its pre-season preparations. The team’s training camp is gradually being joined by its foreign stars, with a series of friendly matches scheduled before competitive football begins.

Al-Nassr will open its Roshn Saudi League campaign against Al Fateh in mid-August. The match will provide the club with its first official test of the new season after its work in Portugal and the planned warm-up fixtures.

For Mane, the camp represents the beginning of a new stage in his career. The Senegal forward has moved directly from the disappointment of his country’s World Cup exit into preparations with Al-Nassr, where he is expected to concentrate on the challenges ahead with the club.

The Saudi side is using the Portugal camp to build towards the opening weeks of the season, with the arrival of its international players forming part of that process. Mane’s presence ensures that one of the team’s senior attacking figures is now involved in the preparations as Al-Nassr work towards their meeting with Al Fateh.

His decision to retire from Senegal duty means his immediate footballing commitments will now be centred entirely on Al-Nassr. The club’s welcome on social media underlined the importance of his arrival to supporters, while the forward’s presence in Portugal signals that his next chapter has begun with the “global” club.