RIYADH — Al Ahli moved to the top of the Saudi Pro League after a 1-0 win over Al Riyadh, with goalkeeper Milan Borjan inadvertently turning the ball into his own net in a match that saw three Ahli goals ruled out for offside.The victory lifts Al Ahli to 59 points from 24 matches, one point clear of Al Nassr, who drop to second and face Al Fayha on Saturday.Al Riyadh, meanwhile, suffered their 14th defeat of the campaign and remain 15th on 16 points.Al Ahli dominated the early stages, pressing aggressively in search of an opener, but Borjan produced a series of sharp saves to keep the hosts level.The visitors thought they had broken the deadlock just before halftime when Roger Ibañez headed home from close range, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.A second effort was disallowed in the 59th minute after Galeno found the net, but replays showed he had also strayed beyond the last defender.The decisive moment arrived in the 75th minute from a corner kick. Borjan misjudged the delivery, the ball slipping off his gloves and into his own goal. Al Riyadh players appealed for a foul on their goalkeeper, but the referee allowed the goal to stand.Ivan Toney appeared to seal the result three minutes from time after finishing calmly from an Ibañez pass, yet the English striker was adjudged offside, marking the third disallowed Ahli goal of the night.Al Ahli withstood late pressure from the hosts to secure a valuable victory that temporarily guarantees them top spot in the standings.

RIYADH — Cristiano Ronaldo took another major step toward a historic milestone after raising his tally to 95 Saudi Pro League goals during Al Nassr’s 5-0 win against Al Najmah in the rescheduled Matchweek 10 fixture.The Al Nassr captain struck his 21st league goal of the season, bringing his total Saudi Pro League haul to 95 and moving him within touching distance of joining the exclusive 100-goal club, a landmark previously reached only by Omar Al Somah, Abderrazak Hamdallah, Nasser Al-Shamrani and Mohammed Al-Sahlawi.The Portuguese star also boosted his overall career tally to 965 goals, leaving him just 35 short of the unprecedented 1,000-goal mark.The postponed round produced 28 goals in total, including five from the penalty spot, in a week that delivered high drama and only one red card, shown to Abdullah Al-Khatib of Al Ettifaq.Ronaldo’s strike against Al Najmah also made him the Al Nassr player who has scored against the most different opponents, with 23 victims out of the 24 teams he has faced in the league.Al Batin remain the only side yet to concede to him. He becomes the seventh player in league history to achieve that distinction.Elsewhere, Al Qadsiah dominated the Eastern Derby with a 4-0 victory over Al Ettifaq, recording their third win in the last four meetings and registering the fastest brace in derby history after just six minutes and 45 seconds.Julián Quiñones continued his prolific form by netting his 22nd goal of the campaign, surpassing his entire tally from last season (20).Al Ahli extended their dominance over Damac with a fourth consecutive victory in their head-to-head meetings, while Al Shabab maintained control against Al Riyadh.Belgian forward Yannick Carrasco marked a milestone night by scoring his first hat-trick in Saudi football.On the individual records front, Moroccan winger Mourad Batna climbed to second on Al Fateh’s all-time Pro League scoring list with 49 goals, surpassing Elton José and closing in on record-holder Doris Fuakumputu (56).Meanwhile, Omar Al Somah endured a rare drought against Al Ittihad. Despite being the fixture’s all-time top scorer with 11 goals, he has now gone six straight matches without a goal contribution after registering 13 involvements in his first 10 meetings.From the spot, Rúben Neves maintained his impressive accuracy by converting against Al Taawoun, improving his penalty success rate to 90 percent with nine conversions from 10 attempts.Attendance figures were led by Damac vs. Al Ahli (12,553), followed by the Eastern Derby (8,800), Al Nassr vs. Al Najmah (8,646), and Al Fateh vs. Al Okhdood (5,156).

RIYADH — After leading the Saudi Pro League by seven points just six weeks ago, Al Hilal now find themselves third in the table, amid a sharp and worrying decline in performances under Simone Inzaghi.What once looked like a comfortable title charge has turned into a period of confusion and inconsistency.Al Hilal have won only two of their past seven league matches, drawing five, a run that has cost them 10 points and, ultimately, top spot.The downturn has not been subtle. Across recent fixtures, the team has appeared tactically predictable, lacking attacking sharpness and variety.Questions are now being asked not only about the players’ form but also about Inzaghi’s match management and decision-making.Despite receiving strong backing in the winter transfer window, with several reinforcements brought in across different positions, many of the new signings have not been consistently utilized in league matches.That has raised further doubts: Were the signings made without the coach’s approval? Or were they recruited at his request, only to be sidelined?The puzzling aspect is that several regular starters have delivered underwhelming performances in recent weeks, yet Inzaghi has largely persisted with them. Even as results slipped and momentum faded, few of those struggling have been dropped in favor of winter arrivals.After the recent draw against Al Taawoun, Inzaghi stated in his post-match press conference that the team had performed well and saw no need for substitutions.The comment raised eyebrows. Hilal lacked attacking efficiency, created limited clear chances, and showed little tactical variation, yet the coach publicly expressed satisfaction.The contradiction became even more apparent in stoppage time. Three Hilal players were seen preparing to enter the pitch in the 90th minute before Inzaghi reversed his decision and asked them to sit back down. If the team did not need changes, why prepare substitutions at such a critical moment? The episode fueled further speculation about the absence of a clear tactical strategy.Against Al Taawoun, Inzaghi made only two substitutions both enforced. One came after an injury to Hamad Al Yami, replaced by Moteb Al Harbi, and the other saw Ali Lajami enter for Hassan Al Tambakti due to discomfort. There were no tactical adjustments despite the team’s struggles in front of goal.In previous matches, substitution patterns have appeared repetitive, often limited to full-back rotations and typically delayed until around the 70th minute or later. Even when the team clearly required intervention earlier, changes were postponed until the final 20 minutes, leaving little time to influence outcomes.The result of this approach has been costly. From a seven-point cushion at the summit to third place in a matter of weeks, Hilal’s slide has transformed the title race and intensified scrutiny on Inzaghi’s leadership at a decisive stage of the season.

RIYADH — Saudi Pro League, First Division League and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation have announced the total value of the television broadcast rights contract for Saudi football competitions across the Middle East and North Africa region.The announcement follows the awarding of the rights on June 14 and the completion of all related legal and regulatory requirements.The total value of the six-season agreement stands at SR2.32 billion (approximately $618.5 million).The contract runs from Aug. 19, 2025 through the end of the 2030–31 season.Earlier, Thmanyah, a subsidiary of Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG), secured the broadcast rights.The company brings experience in content production and digital experience development, supported by SRMG’s broad network of digital and television platforms and advanced broadcasting and distribution infrastructure.The agreement forms part of broader efforts to develop the football content and broadcast ecosystem in line with ongoing changes in the sports landscape, while enhancing the quality of the product delivered to audiences inside and outside the Kingdom.The new contract reflects the economic and commercial growth of Saudi football, providing a stable multi-year framework to support product development, improve broadcast quality and strengthen clubs’ financial resources through the approved revenue distribution model.

RIYADH — Karim Benzema has been ruled out for 10 to 15 days after medical tests confirmed the Al Hilal forward is suffering from an adductor muscle injury.The French star will miss the upcoming Saudi Pro League clash against Al Shabab, as well as the first leg of the AFC Champions League Elite round of 16 against Al Sadd. He is also set to be unavailable for the league encounter against Al Najmah.Benzema’s absence adds to a growing list of concerns for Simone Inzaghi, who is navigating a demanding period across domestic and continental competitions with a depleted squad.Midfielder Nasser Al-Dawsari is facing three to four weeks on the sidelines due to a toe injury, while defender Hassan Al-Tambakti will miss the Al Shabab fixture after sustaining a minor hamstring issue in the recent match against Al Taawoun.However, Al-Tambakti is expected to recover in time for the continental tie against Al Sadd.Turkish defender Yusuf Akçiçek has also been undergoing rehabilitation at the club’s medical clinic after complaining of lower abdominal muscle pain and did not participate in team training.There was some positive news for Al Hilal, as young French forward Mohamed Kader Meïté returned to full training after missing the Al Taawoun match due to muscle discomfort.Goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Rubaie, meanwhile, completed a fitness session in the gym as he continues to recover from a finger injury.With key matches looming in the league and AFC Champions League Elite, Al Hilal must now adjust quickly as they seek to maintain momentum despite mounting injury setbacks.