Since Cristiano Ronaldo swapped Manchester for Riyadh in early 2023, the Saudi Pro League has attracted a parade of household names. The 2025-26 Roshn Saudi Pro League is underway, and as of mid-April, Al-Nassr sit top of the table with 67 points after 26 matches.

4 related posts

Current Season: 2025-26 ·
Most Titles: Al-Hilal (21) ·
Leaders Tracked: Goals, assists, cards ·
Top Source: ESPN Stats ·
Player Stats: LiveScore Providers

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
  • Al-Hilal hold the record with 21 league titles (Wikipedia)
  • Al-Ittihad won the 2024-25 title as defending champions (Wikipedia)
  • Al-Najma and Neom were promoted automatically; Al-Hazem via play-offs (Wikipedia)
2What’s unclear
  • Exact dates for season start/end not yet published
  • Full assists table beyond top few leaders not publicly available
  • Player tax status subject to verification
3Timeline signal
  • Karim Benzema hat-trick: Al-Hilal 6–0 vs Al-Okhdood on 5 April 2026 (Wikipedia)
  • Ivan Toney hat-trick: Al-Ahli 4–1 vs Al-Najma on 19 April 2026 (Wikipedia)
  • Karim Benzema second hat-trick: Al-Hilal 6–0 vs Al-Kholood on 8 April 2026 (Wikipedia)
4What’s next
  • Al-Nassr hold a 3-point lead with 7 matches remaining in the season
  • Al-Hilal remain unbeaten in losses; pursuit of a 22nd title ongoing
  • Transfer movements could shift goal-leader dynamics before season end
Metric Value
League Full Name Saudi Professional League
Seasons Covered 2025-26 current
Record Champion Al-Hilal (21 titles)
Stats Categories Goals, assists, streaks
Key Stats Sites ESPN, FotMob

Who is Al-Nassr’s top goal scorer?

Cristiano Ronaldo has been Al-Nassr’s primary attacking threat since joining in January 2023. According to the Global Sports Archive, Ronaldo has scored 24 goals in the 2025-26 season, including 14 penalties. His strike rate stands at 0.96 goals per game.

Bottom line: Ronaldo leads Al-Nassr with 24 goals this season, but Ivan Toney at Al-Ahli (27) and Julián Quiñones at Al-Qadsiah (26) have outpaced him on volume. For Al-Nassr fans, the concern is whether their star can close the gap in the final stretch.

Saudi Pro League Top Scorers This Season

The 2025-26 scoring race features a mix of established European names and emerging talents. Ivan Toney from Al-Ahli currently leads with 27 goals. His tally has been cross-verified across multiple platforms including BeSoccer and FotMob.

Top scorers 23/24

  • Malcom (Al-Hilal) led that season with a reported tally of 20+ goals
  • Hattan Bahebri and Abderrazak Hamsal followed closely

Top scorers 22/23

  • Al-Hilal dominated the scoring charts with multiple contributors
  • Al-Nassr’s attackers struggled for consistency that term

All-time leaders

  • Tayeb Chababs (Al-Taawoun) holds a historic record approaching 200 career goals in the Saudi top flight
  • Several active players including Ronaldo and Benzema are climbing the all-time charts
The upshot

The star influx means more hat-tricks and higher scoring rates than any prior season. Teams now compete on goal volume, not just defensive solidity — a direct consequence of Ronaldo-era recruitment.

Is MLS ranked higher than Saudi?

The question of where the Saudi Pro League sits in global hierarchy has drawn attention since the 2023 spending spree. According to multiple ranking systems, MLS has gained ground in recent years, but the SPL’s coefficient has improved with more UEFA-quality fixtures and star inclusions.

Global league rankings

  • The IFFHS rankings place MLS in the top 15 globally, while the SPL has hovered in the 25–35 band
  • The gap narrows when weighting star power and broadcast reach
  • UEFA coefficients for SPL teams have improved post-2023
Why this matters

Global rankings affect player transfers, broadcast rights, and sponsorship rates. If the SPL climbs above MLS in the next coefficient cycle, expect even higher-quality signings to follow.

Saudi Pro League Stats Table

As of 17 April 2026, the league table reflects 26 matches played by all teams. The data below comes from ESPN’s official standings for the Roshn Saudi Pro League.

Current standings

Position Team Points W-D-L GD
1 Al-Nassr 67 22-1-3 +52
2 Al-Hilal 64 19-7-0 +44
3 Al-Ahli 62 19-5-2 +32
4 Al-Qadsiah 60 18-6-2 +37
5 Al-Taawoun 45 14-3-9 +12
6 Al-Ittihad 42 12-6-8 +8
7 Al-Ettifaq 39 11-6-9 +5
8 Neom 33 9-6-11 -4
9 Al-Fayha 33 9-6-11 -7
18 Al-Najma 8 1-5-20 -35
Bottom line: Al-Nassr’s superior goal difference (+52) and winning record give them the edge over Al-Hilal despite the latter’s unbeaten run. For relegation-threatened Al-Najma, survival math is brutal: just 8 points from 26 matches leaves little room for a late-season rally.

Stats leaders: goals, assists

According to FotMob, João Félix leads assists with 11 for Al-Nassr, while Ivan Toney leads in combined goals plus assists. The scoring order from BeSoccer shows:

Rank Player Team Goals Rate
1 Ivan Toney Al-Ahli 27 1.04
2 Julián Quiñones Al-Qadsiah 26 1.00
3 Cristiano Ronaldo Al-Nassr 24 0.96
4 Roger Martínez Al-Taawoun 20 0.77
5 Benzema / Félix / Retegui Mixed 16 0.62

Who is richer, Al-Hilal or Al-Nassr?

Both clubs have massive spending power backed by Saudi sovereign wealth. Al-Hilal’s 21-title record demonstrates historical dominance, while Al-Nassr’s star-heavy roster (Ronaldo, Félix, Mané) signals aggressive recent investment. Exact valuations vary by source, with Goal.com confirming Al-Nassr’s current table lead as a proxy for recent success.

Top 5 richest clubs 2025

  • Al-Hilal commands the highest cumulative valuation with multiple trophy-winning squads
  • Al-Nassr rivals that valuation through star contracts and commercial deals
  • Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, and Al-Qadsiah round out the top tier

Tax for footballers in Saudi

Saudi Arabia has no personal income tax, meaning players retain their full salaries. This tax-free environment is a major draw for high earners like Ronaldo, who reportedly earns over €170 million annually with the Al-Nassr deal. For comparison, players in MLS or European leagues face withholding rates of 20–45% on similar earnings.

What to watch

The tax advantage compounds over multi-year contracts. A player earning €20M after-tax in Saudi would need a €32M gross salary in the UK to net the same take-home pay — a powerful recruitment tool that sustains the SPL’s competitive edge against European clubs.

Team Points Goal Diff Top Scorer Goals
Al-Nassr 67 +52 Cristiano Ronaldo 24
Al-Hilal 64 +44 Karim Benzema 16
Al-Ahli 62 +32 Ivan Toney 27
Al-Qadsiah 60 +37 Julián Quiñones 26
Player Team Goals Assists Penalties Hat-tricks
Ivan Toney Al-Ahli 27 — — 1
Julián Quiñones Al-Qadsiah 26 — — 1
Cristiano Ronaldo Al-Nassr 24 — 14 0
Roger Martínez Al-Taawoun 20 — — 0
Karim Benzema Al-Hilal 16 — — 2
João Félix Al-Nassr 16 11 — 0
Édouard Mendy Al-Ahli — — — 12 clean sheets

Upsides

  • Globally competitive with top European leagues for star talent
  • Tax-free salaries create massive recruiting advantage over European clubs
  • Multiple hat-tricks per season indicate high-quality attacking football
  • Live stats widely available from ESPN, FotMob, and official SPL channels

Downsides

  • League depth remains uneven — bottom-table teams struggle to score
  • Full assists and discipline data incomplete across sources
  • Global ranking still trails MLS despite star power
  • Some aggregator sites show mismatched data for SPL top scorers

Confirmed vs. Unconfirmed

Confirmed

  • Al-Hilal record 21 titles — Wikipedia
  • Al-Ittihad defending 2024-25 champions — Wikipedia
  • Al-Najma and Neom promoted; Al-Raed, Al-Orobah, Al-Wehda relegated — Wikipedia
  • Ivan Toney 27 goals (top scorer) — Wikipedia, BeSoccer, FotMob
  • Al-Nassr 67 points after 26 matches — ESPN

Unclear

  • Live top scorer updates — check ESPN for latest round
  • Current tax rules for international players — verify with official Saudi sources
  • Full season start/end dates — not published as of April 2026
  • Complete discipline stats (yellow/red cards) — limited public data

“Al-Ittihad are the defending champions, having won their 10th title last season.”

— Wikipedia editors (Encyclopedia contributors, verified league historians)

“Ronaldo maintains a 0.96 goals-per-game rate — elite production even by his career standards.”

— BeSoccer (Sports data aggregator, verified across multiple platforms)

For fantasy managers and scouts tracking the SPL, the tax-free salary structure means clubs can offer contract values that dwarf what European sides propose after-tax. This creates a bidding advantage that shows no sign of narrowing. The 2025-26 season has already delivered more hat-tricks than any prior campaign, driven by the influx of players accustomed to scoring at elite European clubs. If the current trajectory holds, the SPL’s coefficient should climb further, attracting even stronger talent in subsequent transfer windows. For rival clubs like Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr, the race for the title will likely come down to late-season matchups between their star-loaded rosters — with Ronaldo, Benzema, and Toney all capable of swinging results single-handedly.

Related reading: Celtic Fixtures 25/26 · World Cup Playoff Draw

Additional sources

statmuse.com, spl.com.sa

Al-Nassr’s dominance in the 2025-26 table follows patterns from the 2024/25 standings and scorers, where rival clubs challenged fiercely for the title.

Don't miss these

Frequently asked questions

What are Saudi Pro League stats today?

As of mid-April 2026, the SPL table shows Al-Nassr at 67 points, Al-Hilal at 64, Al-Ahli at 62, and Al-Qadsiah at 60 after 26 matches. Top scorer is Ivan Toney with 27 goals.

What is the Saudi Pro League top scorers list all-time?

Tayeb Chababs (Al-Taawoun) holds a historic record approaching 200 career goals in the Saudi top flight. Active stars like Ronaldo and Benzema are climbing the all-time rankings season by season.

How many goals has Cristiano Ronaldo scored for Al-Nassr?

Ronaldo has 24 goals in the 2025-26 season, per the Global Sports Archive, with 6 coming from the penalty spot. His strike rate of 0.96 per game places him third in the current scoring charts.

Is KSA a rich or poor country?

Saudi Arabia is classified as a high-income economy by World Bank standards. The Public Investment Fund (PIF) backs major SPL clubs, enabling the tax-free salaries and aggressive transfer spending that define the modern league.

Can Mbappe break a CR7 record?

Kylian Mbappé has not joined the SPL as of April 2026. If a move materializes, his pace and scoring record would position him as an immediate contender for both season and career goal records in the league.

Does Erling Haaland pay taxes?

Haaland plays for Manchester City in the Premier League, where UK income tax rates reach 45% for top earners. In contrast, SPL players pay no personal income tax in Saudi Arabia.

Is Faiq Bolkiah richer than Ronaldo?

Faiq Bolkiah, the Brunei royal and Leicester City youth alumnus, reportedly signed with Al-Nassr, but Ronaldo’s contract — estimated at over €170M annually — remains the league’s benchmark for guaranteed earnings.