Cristiano Ronaldo reignited Al Nassr’s Saudi Pro League title bid with a match-winning display against Al Raed in Riyadh on Friday night.
The Portuguese star, without a goal in his past three matches, took only four minutes to open the scoring at Mrsool Park as Nassr sealed a first victory in four fixtures.
Ronaldo, the Nassr captain, then had a significant hand in his side's second, struck 10 minutes into the second half by Abdulrahman Ghareeb. Substitutes Mohammed Maran and Abdulmajeed Al Sulaiheem completed the scoring in the final minutes.
The 4-0 win keeps alive the nine-time Saudi champions’ hopes of clinching a first top-flight crown since 2019. Nassr sit second in the table, three points behind Al Ittihad with five matches remaining. Ittihad, however, have a game in hand.
Reports in Spain this week claimed Ronaldo, 38, was unhappy with his first four months in Saudi Arabia and seeking a return to Europe. He signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Nassr in late December, said to be worth more than $200 million per year.
The former Manchester United, Juventus and Real Madrid forward was therefore always going to command the majority of attention on Friday.
Looking to bounce back from Monday’s shock King’s Cup semi-final exit to Al Wehda, Nassr raced out of the blocks against Raed.
Not long into the match, the ball was cleared only partially to Nassr full-back Sultan Al Ghannam, who crossed invitingly for Ronaldo to head home - his 11th goal in 12 league matches.
In first-half injury-time, Ronaldo rounded goalkeeper Silviu Lung but ran the ball too wide before pulling back for Ahmed Yahya to blaze over. Roanldo, though, had been flagged offside.
At the beginning of the second half, Nassr had to survive a serious scare, when Raed forward Karim El Berkaoui somehow headed over when unmarked.
Minutes later, the hosts doubled their advantage. This time, Ronaldo rose high to knock down Luis Gustavo’s deep cross, leaving Yahya to roll to Ghareeb, who supplied a cool finish.
Ronaldo soon claimed vociferously for a penalty when he appeared to have been tripped inside the Raed area. The referee waved away his protests, much to Ronaldo’s obvious irritation. The Mrsool Park crowd promptly chanted his name in unison.
Ronaldo should really have then had a second goal 15 minutes from time, but his close-range effort was blocked for a corner.
Nassr did swell the scoreline in the closing stages, first after fine work from Jaloliddin Masharipov teed up Maran to slot home. It was left to Al Sulaiheem to score the goal of the game, the midfielder exchanging passes with Masharipov before curling a superb effort into the top corner from the edge of the Raed area.
Crucially, the victory will give Nassr a huge boost going into the final month of the campaign, especially following back-to-back defeats in key matches: the Riyadh derby against Al Hilal and the cup loss to Wehda.
Still with interim manager Dinko Jelicic in charge – Frenchman Rudi Garcia parted company with the club earlier this month – Nassr are next in action on May 8, at home in the league to second-from-bottom Al Khaleej.
Before that, Ittihad travel to sixth-placed Al Taawoun on Wednesday, with Ronaldo and teammates surely hoping the Jeddah side, riding a six-match win streak in the league, drop points.
The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
How to turn your property into a holiday home
- Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
- Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
- Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
- Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
- Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
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Uefa Nations League: How it works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
Arabian Gulf Cup FINAL
Al Nasr 2
(Negredo 1, Tozo 50)
Shabab Al Ahli 1
(Jaber 13)
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