Al-Nassr’s perfect start in the Saudi Pro League ended with a 2-2 draw at Al-Ettifaq, as Georginio Wijnaldum scored twice, including a late equaliser, denying Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Felix a win after
a tense match in Dammam.
The result means Al-Nassr’s 10-game winning streak from the start of the league campaign is over, and the club could see its advantage at the top reduced to two points if Al-Hilal beat Al-Kholood on Wednesday in their away fixture.
Despite dropping points, both Ronaldo and Felix continue their strong scoring run in the Saudi Pro League, with each player reaching 13 goals from 11 matches, a mark previously matched only by Omar Al-Somah and Gelmin Rivas at this stage of a season.
Those numbers underline how influential Ronaldo and Felix remain for Al-Nassr, even on a night when the team failed to secure victory, as Felix scored one and then saw a second-half effort diverted in by Ronaldo’s back to briefly turn the game around.
The match opened with controversy when Saad Al Nasser initially received a straight red card, which was later downgraded to a yellow after a VAR review, and Al-Ettifaq quickly took advantage when Wijnaldum bent a precise shot into the top-right corner inside 16 minutes.
Al-Nassr created several chances before half-time and dominated most of the first period, yet still trailed at the interval, with Sultan Al Ghannam going closest when a powerful 25-yard strike hit the crossbar instead of bringing the scores level.
Al-Nassr began the second half with greater edge and were level just over a minute after the restart, as Felix drove a low shot into the bottom-left corner, then midway through the half another Felix strike deflected in off Ronaldo’s back to make it 2-1.
Al-Ettifaq struck again against the run of play with 10 minutes left when Wijnaldum arrived in the box to meet Radi Al Otaibi’s cutback and fired past the goalkeeper, and although Al-Nassr pushed forward late on, the league leaders could not restore their 100 per cent record.
Full time in Dammam. pic.twitter.com/IKe6RWKXefAlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) December 30, 2025
Full time in Dammam. pic.twitter.com/IKe6RWKXefAlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) December 30, 2025
Key attacking numbers from the Saudi Pro League season so far highlight the impact of the main forwards involved in this match for Al-Nassr and past record holders at the same stage of previous campaigns.
| Player | Club | Season | Games played | Goals after 11 games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Al-Nassr | 2025-26 | 11 | 13 |
| Joao Felix | Al-Nassr | 2025-26 | 11 | 13 |
| Omar Al-Somah | Al-Ahli | Previous season | 11 | 13 |
| Gelmin Rivas | Al-Ittihad | Previous season | 11 | 13 |
The draw keeps Al-Nassr in first place for now, yet the pressure from Al-Hilal increases before the trip to Al-Kholood, while Ronaldo and Felix remain on course to match or surpass past scoring records if they maintain their current output across the remaining Saudi Pro League fixtures.
