It was a spectacular start to the Pro League for the Portuguese contingent in Saudi Arabia, with internationals João Félix, Samú Costa and Rúben Neves all on the scoresheet at the weekend.
While Cristiano Ronaldo was not ready to participate for defending champions Al Nassr following his return from summer break late last week, his teammates ensured a winning start under new boss Ange Postecoglu, who replaced Jorge Jesus in the dugout during the close-season.
Al Nassr defeated Al Fateh 3-0 in Riyadh, with last season’s Pro League Player of the Year João Félix once again stealing the headlines. Brazilian forward Angelo had already put the hosts 1-0 up when Félix doubled the lead five minutes before half time with a wonderful individual effort, which earned applause from the watching Ronaldo in the stands.
MW1's @BSF_sa Goal of the Week winner is Joao Felix with this BEAUTIFUL goal 🤩🔥 pic.twitter.com/Tzhgu4PFCW
— Roshn Saudi League (@SPL_EN) August 17, 2026
Félix, whose goal was voted Goal of the Week for the opening round, was replaced in the second half by countryman Samú Costa, making his league debut having joined Al Nassr this summer from Mallorca following Portugal’s World Cup campaign. Samú wasted little time introducing himself, scoring in the 76th minute, less than ten minutes after entering the play.
⚽️ 𝗕𝗨𝗨𝗨𝗧𝗧𝗧 ! SAMÚ COSTA 🇵🇹 BUTEUR POUR SON PREMIER MATCH EN SPL 🔥
— SPL 🇸🇦 (@ActuSPL) August 15, 2026
Premier match avec Al Nassr et déjà un premier but pour le milieu portugais !!!
73’ | Al Nassr 3 - 0 Al Fateh https://t.co/3HYU6mJKXh pic.twitter.com/h73sv3re30
Neves helps Al Hilal to victory
The win put Al Nassr top of the table on goal difference, just ahead of second place Al Hilal, who will be expecting to resume their status as serious contenders for the title this term. Al Hilal saw off Al Faisaly 4-2 at home, giving Simone Inzaghi’s side – who finished runners-up last term despite going the season undefeated – a winning start to this year’s campaign.
Rúben Neves scored twice from the penalty spot in the victory over Al Faisaly, which he followed up with another brace a few days later in the King Cup as his side beat Al Raed 2-0, making it a strong start to the season for the former Porto midfielder, who renewed his contract in February.
João Cancelo will not be a teammate of Neves’ much longer, with the experienced full-back arriving in Barcelona on Monday to finalise a permanent move to Camp Nou from Al Hilal.
