The Saudi Pro League returns to action following a three-week international break.
The national team enjoyed success in the Arabian Gulf Cup, beating UAE 2-0 in Tuesday's final in Jeddah.
Other SPL players also made headlines – not all of them good.
We take a look at the main talking points ahead of the weekend's fixtures.
Ronaldo's bumpy break
Cristiano Ronaldo made headlines during the international break for all the wrong reasons.
The Al Nassr striker abruptly walked out on Portugal ahead of a Uefa Nations League match in Denmark last week.
On Tuesday, the 41-year-old released a lengthy statement, giving his version of events, saying he was not retiring, remained available for selection, while accusing manager Jorge Jesus of an “absolute breach of trust”.
The row erupted after Ronaldo was an unused substitute in Portugal's 2-1 Uefa Nations League win over Norway on September 29, the first time in 18 years he had sat on the bench for an entire match for his national team.
According to Ronaldo's account, Jesus had agreed the forward would miss the Norway and Denmark matches to manage his fitness. However, on the day of the Norway game, the coach told him he would play for 30 minutes.
“Everyone knows the rest. I warmed up from half-time onwards, watched the minutes tick by and wasn't called on,” Ronaldo said.
“The manager had broken his word to me.”
The statement added that in a subsequent meeting between player and coach, mediated by Al Nassr sporting director Simao Coutinho, the parties agreed that Jesus would clarify events ahead of the Denmark match.
According to the plan, Jesus would say that Ronaldo had never demanded to be played and that asking him to warm up without bringing him on had been a mistake.
Jesus did not mention any of this when he spoke to reporters but later denied he had made any such agreement. “The conference was what is known: the attitude had nothing to do with our meeting,” Ronaldo explained.
When Ronaldo learnt he would not play against the Danes, the player packed his bags and left the team's camp in Copenhagen.
Ronaldo has said the Portuguese Football Federation should punish him accordingly, and said that he would make himself available for selection after any suspension that may come his way.
Jesus, too, left the door open for his return. Whether bridges can be rebuilt before the November internationals remains to be seen.
When approached by reporters on Wednesday, Jesus said: "I read the statement, and now, as I do every day, I go to the federation to work, to think about the team and the national team. I have nothing more to say."
It's all a far cry from the jubilant scenes just a few months ago when Jesus and Ronaldo celebrated leading Al Nassr to the Saudi Pro League title.
Ronaldo will have been banking on the extra games with his country in his pursuit of 1,000 goals (he currently has 979). One hundred and forty-six of them have come for Portugal.
Depending on how his Portugal future pans out, Nassr could end up the main beneficiary.
Nassr resume their Saudi Pro League campaign on Friday against Diriyah. They sit in third place, two points behind leaders Al Hilal, with Al Ittihad sandwiched in between the two Riyadh clubs.
A chastening defeat at UAE champions Al Ain in their first match of the AFC Champions League Elite saw Nassr get their league phase off to the worst possible start. Nassr welcome Uzbekistan's Neftchi Fergana to Al Awwal Park on Monday.
Nassr coach Ange Postecoglou may have some sympathy for Jesus. The Australian has himself had to deal with Ronaldo taking issue with his team selections; Ronaldo felt snubbed after Postecoglou substituted him in the comeback win against Al Ettifaq on August 25.
Nassr trailed 2-0 in that game when Ronaldo was subbed off in the 46th minute. By the end of it, they had won 3-2.
Postecoglou, Jesus and Ronaldo have all said he should only be picked on merit, but it's hard to think that a player who has accomplished so much doesn't expect to be treated differently from his teammates.
Managing Ronaldo used to be every coach's dream. Now it seems to be one of football's most difficult jobs.
Aouar: Al Ittihad want to achieve big things
A top-of-the-table clash sees first-placed Al Hilal take on second-placed Al Ittihad at Kingdom Arena.
Hilal suffered a first league defeat in 47 matches when they fell 2-0 to Neom on September 7, ending their 100 per cent start to the season. It was Hilal's first league defeat under Simone Inzaghi since he took the reins in the summer of 2025.
They bounced back in spectacular style, thumping Al Taawoun 6-0 to head into the break on top of the pile.
Saturday's opponents are the only unbeaten team left in the league, having won five and drawn two of their seven matches. The Jeddah club sit a point behind Hilal.
Champions in 2024/25, Ittihad look like a team transformed under Jens Wissing, with Houssem Aouar one of the team's leading lights so far.
The Algerian playmaker was part of that championship-winning side, and believes the Jeddah club are capable of pushing for honours again this season.
“This season we want to achieve big things. I always say that when you play for a club like Al Ittihad, you have to win something every season,” he told the SPL's official website.
“And it's in what we have to improve. To win things, you have to be focused, dedicate yourself to the club, to the pitch, and to make a lot of sacrifice.
“The league is going up every season. You can see that now there is a lot of competition. You never know who's going to win the league until the end, until the very end of the game.”
Fixtures
All kick-off times UAE time
Friday
Al Kholood v Al Qadsiah, 5.50pm
Al Fateh v Al Ahli, 6.55pm
Al Nassr v Diriyah, 10pm
Saturday
Al Hazem v Neom, 5.50pm
Al Ettifaq v Al Khaleej, 6.55pm
Al Hilal v Al Ittihad, 10pm
Sunday
Al Fayha v Al Riyadh, 5.40pm
Abha v Al Faisaly, 7.25pm
Al Shabab v Al Taawoun, 10pm
