The 2026/27 Saudi Pro League season kicks off on Thursday with a much-changed Al Ahli Saudi among the first clubs in action.
Gone are Franck Kessie and Riyad Mahrez – stalwarts of the team that won back-to-back AFC Champions League Elite crowns – following the end of their contracts.
For the first time in three years, there will be a new face in the dugout. Marino Pusic has replaced Matthias Jaissle, mastermind of those two Asian triumphs, who has made the move to England to take over at Newcastle United.
Pusic led Shakhtar Donetsk to the 2024 Ukrainian league title and joins on a two year-contract. He will look to Ivan Toney for goals, but the prolific Englishman has a charge of assault hanging over his head and will appear at a London Magistrates' Court on September 24.
Toney scored 42 goals last season as Al Ahli reclaimed the Asian Champions League and finished third in the SPL. He was also part of England's squad during the recent Fifa World Cup.
Toney has been linked with a move back to the Premier League, with a potential reunion with Jaissle at Newcastle potentially on the cards.
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Al Ahli players celebrate with the trophy after winning the AFC Champions League title, courtesy of a 1-0 win over Machida Zelvia at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Getty Images -
Valentin Atangana Edoa and Riyad Mahrez of Al Ahli celebrate after the team's 1-0 victory. Getty Images -
Al Ahli fans celebrate with flares inside the stadium after the match. Reuters -
Machida Zelvia goalkeeper Kosei Tani kicks the ball. AFP -
Franck Kessie of Al Ahli celebrates after seeing his side go 1-0 up. Getty Images -
Feras Al Brikan of Al Ahli celebrates scoring his team's first goal with teammates. Getty Images -
Al Ahli fans at the King Abdullah Sports City. AFP -
Hotaka Nakamura of Machida Zelvia is challenged by Galeno of Al Ahli. Getty Images -
Ivan Toney of Al Ahli speaks with referee Ilgiz Tantashev during the AFC Champions League Elite Final match against Machida Zelvia. Getty Images -
Al Ahli's Zakaria Al Hawsawi is shown a red card by referee Ilgiz Tantashev. Reuters -
Firas Al Buraikan of Al Ahli is challenged by Na Sang-ho of Machida Zelvia. Getty Images -
Riyad Mahrez of Al Ahli runs with the ball. Getty Images -
Galeno of Al Ahli takes a shot while under pressure from Hotaka Nakamura of Machida Zelvia. Getty Images
Ahli take on promoted Diriyah in their opener and could give a debut to two of their newest recruits. The Jeddah club have invested heavily in Francisco Trincao, the winger signed from Sporting for a reported fee of €39.3 million.
The 26-year-old moustachioed Portuguese has some big shoes to fill in replacing Algerian great Mahrez, who leaves King Abdullah Sports City after three productive seasons. A move to Barcelona earlier in his career didn't pan out the way Trincao would have hoped, but a loan to Wolves before a permanent switch to Sporting has reinvigorated a career that threatened to stall.
Another new face is Eduard Spertsyan, 26, signed from Russian club Krasnodar, where the gifted Armenian playmaker has spent his entire career, for around €22 million.
Abha return to Saudi Arabia's top tier after a seven-year absence and take on Al Hazem with Al Qadsiah away to Al Shabab rounding out Thursday night's fixtures.
Led by Brendan Rodgers, Qadsiah will look to improve on a fourth-placed finish last term. They boast Mexico forward Julian Quinones, who outscored Cristiano Ronaldo and Toney last season to claim the SPL Golden Boot with 33 league goals.
Quinones also enjoyed a successful World Cup, scoring thrice as co-hosts Mexico reached the last 16.
Al Hilal regroup
Hilal signalled their intent to reclaim the Saudi Pro League crown by splashing out on Netherlands forward Crysencio Summerville.
The Riyadh giants paid West Ham United €64.5 million to sign the Dutchman on a four-year contract as they plot a path back to glory. Hilal surrendered the title to Al Nassr last season by two points having pushed their neighbours all the way.
Summerville was part of a West Ham squad relegated from the Premier League last term. He was also part of the Netherlands squad that took part in this summer's World Cup, playing in all the Oranje's games. They were knocked out in the Round of 32 by Morocco, where Summerville saw his shoot-out penalty saved by new Hilal teammate Yassine Bounou.
Summerville scored only eight goals across two seasons with the Hammers, and Hilal will expect a better return to help compensate for the loss of Marcos Leonardo, who has joined Dutch giants Ajax. Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi still has the considerable talents of Karim Benzema, Darwin Nunez, Malcom and Salem Al Dawsari to call on too.
Inzaghi was accused of negative football during his debut campaign and has several players returning from loan spells, including Portugal defender Joao Cancelo and Saudi winger Mohammed Al Qahtani, to give him options.
Will the Italian adopt a more attacking philosophy this term? The Riyadh club host Al Faisaly, with Al Riyadh, who narrowly avoided the drop last season, also in action Friday when they travel to meet Al Ettifaq.
Ronaldo eyes 1,000 goals
Ronaldo ended his trophy drought by guiding Al Nassr to the Pro League title last season.
That was despite a mid-season fallout with his paymasters that effectively saw Ronaldo go on strike.
When he was reintegrated into the team, Ronaldo picked up where he left off. The 41-year-old contributed 28 goals to Nassr's title triumph, proving that he is still the team's goal guarantor despite his advancing years.
The evergreen striker played at his sixth World Cup this summer, scoring three goals as Portugal exited at the last-16 to eventual champions Spain.
That brought him up to 976 goals in his senior career, one that has taken him to clubs including Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus before landing in Riyadh in late 2022.
Ronaldo married long-term partner Georgina Rodriguez in a private ceremony in Cascais, Portugal.
The world's highest-paid player will return to Saudi Arabia to work under a new coach in Ange Postecoglou, and it remains to be seen whether the player can adapt to his coach's demands or if the Australian will recognise that Ronaldo best serves the team by getting on the end of chances created by teammates.
Twenty-four goals to reach 1,000 is infinitely doable for a player who has scored 129 goals in 148 games since joining Nassr. With Nassr back in the AFC Champions League Elite this season, Ronaldo will have even more opportunity to reach the four-figure milestone before the season ends. It's not a question of if he will do it, but when.
Ronaldo will get his first shot at climbing closer to 1,000 goals on Saturday when the defending champions welcome Al Fateh to Al Awwal Park.
Al Ittihad will play Champions League football again this season after the Jeddah club put the UAE's Al Jazira to the sword on Tuesday.
Steven Bergwijn starred with a brace, with further goals from Houssem Aouar and Marwan Al Sahafi, to give Ittihad a 4-1 win in their play-off in Abu Dhabi and Jens Wissing a winning start as coach.
The 2025 Saudi champions face Al Kholood in their opener on Saturday.
Opening day fixtures
Thursday, August 13
Abha v Al Hazem, 8.15pm
Al Shabab v Al Qadsiah, 10pm
Diriyah v Al Ahli Saudi, 10pm
Friday, August 14
Neom v Al Fayha, 8.50pm
Al Hilal v Al Faisaly, 10pm
Al Ettifaq v Al Riyadh, 10pm
Saturday, August 15
Al Taawoun v Al Khaleej, 8.15pm
Al Ittihad v Al Kholood, 10pm
Al Nassr v Al Fateh, 10pm
Mark your calendar
Here are some games to watch in the early part of the season:
Sept 1: Al Hilal v Al Ahli Saudi
Sept 5: Al Ittihad v Al Nassr
Sept 18: Al Hilal v Al Ittihad
Nov 26: Al Ittihad v Al Ahli Saudi
Dec 11: Al Nassr v Al Hilal
The 2026/27 Saudi Pro League will break for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup on December 24. Matches will resume on February 7.
Top 5 transfer fees paid
1. Crysencio Summerville - €64.5m to Al Hilal from West Ham United
2. Francisco Trincao - €39.3m to Al Ahli Saudi from Sporting
3. Samu Costa - €22m to Al Nassr from Mallorca
4. Eduard Spertsyan - €21.9m to Al Al Ahli Saudi from Krasnodar
5. Jan-Carlo Simic - €15m to Al Ittihad from Anderlecht
New coaches
Ange Postecoglou (Al Nassr)
Marino Pusic (Al Ahli Saudi)
Jens Wissing (Al Ittihad)
Thomas Letsch (Al Shabab)
Bruno Lage (Al Diriyah)
Arthur Papas (Al Ettifaq)
Fabio Carille (Al Fayha)
Jose Gomes (Al Khaleej)
Zarko Lazetic (Al Taawoun)
