Saudi Pro League: Ronaldo, Benzema and the stars chasing one last landmark

The new Saudi Pro League season carries a range of ambitions, from supporters dreaming of seeing their club crowned champions to teams seeking fresh success and managers hoping to add a successful chapter to their careers.

Ultimately, however, those ambitions will depend on the players on the pitch. The expectations carried by the clubs are matched by personal targets held by the footballers themselves, including records, trophies and the chance to secure their futures.

The biggest individual objective belongs to Cristiano Ronaldo, the Al-Nassr captain who could be entering the final season of his career. His contract expires at the end of the new campaign, which follows the fulfilment of his greatest collective ambition with the club.

Ronaldo helped Al-Nassr win the Saudi Pro League title last season, ending a seven-year wait for the championship. With that team goal achieved, the Portugal forward can now focus on a landmark that no player in football history has reached: scoring 1,000 goals.

Ronaldo begins the season with 976 career goals, leaving him 24 short of the milestone. Reaching that figure is within his capabilities. He has scored at least 25 goals in each of his three completed seasons in the Saudi Pro League, with his lowest total coming in 2024-25.

The 40-year-old will have opportunities beyond the league, with Al-Nassr also competing in the Saudi Super Cup, the King’s Cup and the AFC Champions League Elite.

Benzema seeks a strong finish

Karim Benzema, Ronaldo’s former Real Madrid team-mate, could also be approaching the final season of his playing career, after previous speculation about retirement.

The France striker joined Al-Hilal during the winter transfer window after leaving Al-Ittihad in a high-profile move following the termination of his contract. His main objective will be to lead Al-Hilal to the Saudi Pro League title, which the club have failed to win in the past two seasons, allowing him to end his career in the best possible way.

Winning the championship would carry particular importance for Benzema after his unexpected move between the two Saudi clubs angered Al-Ittihad supporters. At 38, he will not want that frustration to be repeated among Al-Hilal fans if they believe he is unable to make a significant contribution.

His fitness will be central to that challenge. Injuries kept Benzema out of several Al-Hilal matches during the second half of last season, and he will turn 39 by the end of 2026.

If the former Real Madrid forward succeeds, he would join a small group of players to have won the Saudi Pro League title with both Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad. He previously helped Al-Ittihad claim the championship in 2024-25.

For Al-Hilal captain Salem Al-Dawsari, the priority is to avoid saying goodbye to the club at the end of this season.

Al-Dawsari endured one of his poorest campaigns for Al-Hilal last term under Italian manager Simone Inzaghi, placing him under pressure from the club’s supporters. The winger was linked with a move during the current summer transfer window, with interest reported from newly promoted Al-Diriyah and several Qatari clubs.

Although Al-Dawsari has remained at Al-Hilal, he is widely expected to leave after the season and could even be forced to retire at that point. To prevent that outcome, he must produce an outstanding campaign both individually and collectively, convincing the club’s management and supporters that he deserves at least one more season.

That will be difficult. Inzaghi’s tactical demands already limit his role, while Al-Hilal have signed Dutch winger Crysencio Summerville, who operates in the same position. Al-Dawsari will also begin the campaign carrying an injury.

Toney and En-Nesyri target personal redemption

Ivan Toney is preparing for his third season in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Ahli, still seeking the scoring crown after twice coming close.

The England striker wants to become the league’s top scorer for the first time. Last season, he lost the award in dramatic fashion to Al-Qadsiah forward Julian Quinones, who scored twice against Al-Ittihad on the final matchday to finish on 33 goals, one ahead of Toney.

Toney had also missed out the previous season, when Cristiano Ronaldo won the award by a margin of two goals. The Al-Ahli forward is therefore seeking his first top-scorer prize in a major competition and only the second of his career overall.

His sole previous scoring title came five years ago with Brentford, when he led the Championship during the 2020-21 season.

At Al-Ittihad, the club signed Morocco striker Youssef En-Nesyri as Benzema’s replacement, but he has not yet fulfilled that role. Before the new season, En-Nesyri was linked with a move to the Moroccan league amid reports that German coach Jens Wissing is unconvinced by his ability.

Those developments leave the striker facing a difficult campaign, but they could also provide the motivation for a major response. En-Nesyri’s central ambition will be to excel for Al-Ittihad and answer his critics by producing the best performances of his career with the Saudi club.