The Saudi professional league kicks off today, with Al-Nassr set to defend their title, while Cristiano Ronaldo's goal this season is to surpass the 1000th career goal mark.

This wasn't an easy task for Ronaldo. Joining Al-Nassr after the 2023 Qatar World Cup proved more difficult than anticipated, but he ultimately secured his first title with Al-Nassr. Now, the reigning Saudi professional league champions are finally ready for the new season.

At 42, Cristiano Ronaldo no longer feels the need to prove anything to anyone. This summer, despite Portugal's elimination from the World Cup quarterfinals by Spain, he continued to break records, becoming the only player to score in six different World Cups.

However, this season holds special significance for the Portuguese player. Starting today, he will begin his sprint towards his 1000th career goal. He currently has 978 goals, meaning he's just 22 short. This is a number he surpassed multiple times during his three full seasons playing for Saudi Arabia.

This is his ultimate goal in his career, but he doesn't see it as an obsession. Speaking at the Globe Soccer Awards ceremony in December 2025, he said, "I want to win trophies, and I want to reach that number that everyone knows. As long as I don't get injured, I'm sure I can do it."

Due to financial constraints, Al-Nassr Victory was relatively inactive in the transfer market this summer. Their most notable signing was Samuel Costa, Cristiano Ronaldo's teammate on the Portuguese national team, who joined to fill the void left by Marcelo Brozovic's free transfer. Besides Costa, the team retained players such as Bento, Simakan, Iñigo Martínez, Koeman, Sané, and João Félix.

This is a star-studded lineup to help Cristiano Ronaldo defend his title. Meanwhile, on the bench sits Ange Postecoglou, who has been named Jesus' successor. Postecoglou, upon his introduction, said: "He did a fantastic job last year, and now the club is ready to take the next step, which is why I'm here." The manager, who led Tottenham to the Europa League title in the 2024-25 season, added.

Benzema, alternative

Another major rival for the title is Al-Hilal, coached by Simone Inzaghi. Last season, they kept the title race alive until the final round. Marcos Leonardo has left, but Somerville, who impressed for the Netherlands at the World Cup, has joined the team. The squad still retains players such as Bono, Koulibaly, Theo Hernandez, Milinkovic-Savic, and Malcom.

As AFC Champions League double winners, Al-Ahli Jeddah's momentum has dipped. Kessie and Mahrez have both left the team, and Jasler is no longer coaching. However, Trincão will join the squad. Meanwhile, United Jeddah has replaced Lopes with Jorge Jesus, hoping to reclaim the position they lost to Al-Qadicia last season.