Al Nassr will face Al Diriyah in the Round of 32 of the 2026‑27 King Cup of Champions, with attention focused on whether Cristiano Ronaldo will feature.
Although not confirmed, Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to be rested for the encounter with Al Diriyah, mirroring his absence from Al Nassr’s opening Saudi Pro League fixture of the 2026‑27 season.
Head coach Ange Postecoglou opted to give the 41‑year‑old forward a break to recover match sharpness after the 2026 World Cup and his recent wedding.
Al-Nassr’s projected lineup
Despite it being a Round of 32 tie, Postecoglou may field a lineup resembling the side that started Al Nassr’s opening Saudi Pro League match against Al Fateh.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr.
Projected Al Nassr XI (4‑3‑3): Nawaf Al‑Aqidi; Nawaf Boushal, Mohamed Simakan, Inigo Martínez, Sultan Al‑Ghanam; Marcelo Brozović, Samu Costa, Angelo Gabriel; Sadio Mané, João Félix, Abdullah Al‑Hamdan
Al Diriyah’s projected lineup
Al Diriyah’s season began poorly after a home loss to Al Ahli Saudi, and they are looking to turn things around in the King Cup of Champions.
Projected Al Diriyah XI (4‑2‑3‑1): Mubarak Buainain; Ali Al‑Zubaidi, Ahmed Al‑Mufarrij, Nawaf Al‑Soby, Bandar Baajaj; Abdulaziz Al‑Dawsari, Sultan Al‑Ghannam; Mohammed Al‑Sori, Majed Al‑Deen, Hassan Al‑Khaibari; Rayan Al‑Johani