MENA Sports Wrap: Al-Ahli go top as Saudi Pro League title race tightens

Al-Ahli go top of the Saudi Pro League as Ronaldo reaffirms his Saudi future, while Oman and the UAE exit the T20 World Cup early.

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5 min read

The New Arab Staff

25 February, 2026

Franck Kessie's goal gave Al-Ahli a crucial win, putting them at the top of the Saudi Pro League table [Getty/file photo]

Al-Ahli climbed to the top of the Saudi Pro League after a narrow win over Damac, tightening an already fierce title race that also saw Ronaldo and Al-Nassr keep pace and Al-Hilal held in a tense Clasico draw.

Off the pitch, Cristiano Ronaldo declared his commitment to Saudi Arabia while Brendan Rodgers embraced his new chapter at Al Qadsiah, underlining the league’s growing profile ahead of the 2034 World Cup.

Elsewhere in regional sport, Oman and the UAE endured difficult T20 World Cup campaigns, exiting at the group stage despite flashes of promise against stronger opposition.

Al-Ahli go top of Saudi Pro League after Damac win

Al-Ahli Saudi moved to the top of the Saudi Pro League table on Monday after a 1-0 win over Damac FC, with Franck Kessie scoring the decisive goal.

The visitors endured an early scare when Damac found the net inside the opening minutes, only for the goal to be ruled out after a VAR review identified a foul in the build-up.

Ivan Toney then thought he had given Al-Ahli the lead in the 30th minute, but his effort was chalked off for offside.

Al-Ahli continued to apply pressure and were rewarded in the 37th minute when Kessie prodded home from close range after meeting a deep free-kick from Riyad Mahrez. Mahrez nearly doubled the advantage before the break but fired narrowly wide.

Damac pushed for an equaliser in the second half, forcing several saves from goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who preserved both the lead and a clean sheet. A late Damac goal was also ruled out for offside, ensuring Al-Ahli held on to claim all three points.

The result puts Al-Ahli one point clear at the top, though they have played a game more than second-placed Al-Nassr. Al-Hilal sit two points behind after previously leading the standings.

The title race continues on Tuesday as Al-Nassr face Al-Najma and Al-Hilal take on Al-Taawoun. Al-Ittihad, also in contention, meet Al-Hazem.

Elsewhere, Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad shared a 1-1 draw in Saturday’s Clasico, with Malcom opening the scoring before Houssem Aouar equalised. The match also marked Karim Benzema’s first appearance against his former club since joining Al-Hilal last month.

MENA Sports Wrap: Al-Ittihad bag 10th Saudi Pro League title

MENA Sports Wrap

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Ronaldo declares 'I belong to Saudi Arabia' as Brendan Rodgers dons traditional attire

Brendan Rodgers and Cristiano Ronaldo have both doubled down on their commitment to Saudi football this week, as the Saudi Pro League continues to flex its growing global pull.

Rodgers, who left Celtic in October before taking charge of Al Qadsiah FC two months later, featured in a promotional video marking Saudi Arabia's Founding Day.

Dressed in traditional attire and holding a ceremonial rifle, the Northern Irish manager praised the country's heritage and described its football future as "really exciting".

“I want to give my sincere congratulations to all of the people of Saudi Arabia, Saudi has a real rich heritage and a really exciting future ahead” 🇸🇦
Sheikh Brendan on #FoundingDay 🎙️#AlQadsiah pic.twitter.com/Iw689uzoeh
— AlQadsiah Saudi Club (@AlQadsiahEN) February 22, 2026

Since arriving, Rodgers has overseen a 13-match unbeaten run, pushing newly promoted Al Qadsiah into the title race, five points behind leaders Al-Nassr.

With a new stadium on the way and European recruits such as Mateo Retegui and Otavio strengthening the squad, Qadsiah's ambitions are clear.

Rodgers said he has been impressed by the league's standard and spoke warmly of life in the kingdom, adding that he feels "very safe and secure" and believes the competition will continue to improve in the build-up to Saudi Arabia hosting the 2034 World Cup.

At the top of the table, Ronaldo also moved to silence speculation about his future. The 41-year-old scored twice in Al-Nassr's 4-0 win over Al-Hazem, a result that sent them one point clear in the title race, and declared: "I belong to Saudi Arabia".

Despite recent reports of tensions over the club's direction, Ronaldo insisted he was happy and wants to continue, saying the focus remains on pushing for the league crown.

Al-Ahli win Saudi Super Cup as Ronaldo nets 100th Al-Nassr goal

Cristiano Ronaldo

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Disappointing campaign in T20 World Cup for Oman and UAE

Arab teams had a disappointing run in the 2026 T20 World Cup, with Oman and the UAE crashing out in the group stages.

The UAE managed one win in their four-game campaign, with tough opponents in their group, including South Africa and New Zealand.

They entered the tournament after two disappointing warm-up matches against Italy and Nepal, and a scandal surrounding the ejection from the squad of Mohammed Zohaib, just hours before the tournament started. The ECB insists the decision was due to "disciplinary reasons", but the cricketer has claimed discrimination.

The UAE still managed to score a respectable 173 runs against New Zealand in their opening game, with Muhammad Waseem and Alishan Sharafu notching up a 107-run partnership. But things fell apart for the Emiratis when New Zealand took to the crease, who scored 175 runs with no wickets taken.

UAE hopes were rekindled when they achieved a five-wicket run over Canada, who came bottom of the group at the end of the week. They were next faced with the challengers Afghanistan, who won by five wickets with four balls remaining.

Their final daunting game was against South Africa, who comprehensively saw off the Emiratis with 40 balls to spare, ending UAE efforts, but the team will likely be releived to walk away with one win in the tournament.

Meanwhile, Oman had a more disappointing campaign, with no points in the group stages, but against some formidable opponents, including Sri Lanka and Australia.

They opened with Zimbabwe, a team the sultanate had beaten in the warm-up, but were quickly routed by the African side, who won the match with 39 balls to spare.

Next, Oman faced hosts Sri Lanka, who easily saw off the Omanis with a 105-run win, while Ireland achieved 235 runs against the Omanis, securing the game by 96 runs. The disheartening start to the campaign left Oman with one final match in the group - against cricket powerhouse Australia.

Australia packed up their troubles in the tournament with a nine-wicket run over the sultanate, but like the Omanis took an early plane home in one of the biggest shocks of the World Cup.