Xa Ronaldo is a storm, Al Nassr continues to suffer a blow before the new season

Cristiano Ronaldo was absent from the match as Al Nassr lost 0-2 to Almeria, ending their pre-season trip in Portugal with plenty of worries.

Al Nassr entered the friendly against Almeria in Oeiras (Portugal) without Cristiano Ronaldo in the lineup. The 41-year-old superstar only watched his teammates from the stands after just finishing his journey with the Portuguese national team at the 2026 World Cup.

From the very first minutes, Almeria showed initiative and continuously exploited the flanks of the Saudi Arabian side. Daijiro Chirino soon forced goalkeeper Bento to make a save, before Brian Cipenga hit the post in the 11th minute.

After a period of being outplayed, Al Nassr gradually regained control. Sami Al-Najei created the most notable chance for the yellow-shirted team in the first half, but his diagonal shot could not beat goalkeeper Andres Fernandez. Abdullah Al-Hamdan and Salem Al-Najdi also tried their luck later but sent the ball wide. The two teams went into halftime with a 0-0 scoreline.

The deadlock was broken just six minutes into the second half. Chirino broke into the penalty area and unleashed a low, diagonal shot with his left foot, beating Bento to open the scoring for Almeria.

Difficulties continued to pile up for Al Nassr when Mohamed Simakan handled the ball in the box in the 59th minute. From the penalty spot, Adri Embarba finished accurately, doubling the lead for the Spanish side.

Coach Ange Postecoglou brought on Joao Felix and Sadio Mane to improve the attack, but Al Nassr still could not break through the opponent's well-organized defense. In the end, the Saudi Arabian team suffered a 0-2 defeat.

This was Al Nassr's third loss in four matches during their training camp in Portugal. They only managed a 2-0 win over Merida, while losing to Benfica's reserve team, Estrela Amadora, and Almeria, leaving many issues to be resolved before the 2026/27 season kicks off.