Toney's brace for Ronaldo's first loss this season

Al Nassr’s unbeaten run has come to an end — and on just the second day of 2026. After 11 rounds, which included ten consecutive wins and a draw away to Al Ettifaq on the penultimate day of December, Al Nassr finally tasted defeat and will very likely lose first place in the standings. In a spectacular top-of-the-table derby, Al Ahli defeated Al Nassr 3–2 (2–2), allowing Al Hilal to take over the lead with a potential away win against Damac.

The match delivered absolutely everything a football fan could ask for — a flurry of goals, drama, on-field tension, and red cards. The undisputed star of the game was Ivan Toney, who scored twice within the opening 20 minutes. Abdulilah Al Amri responded in kind toward the end of the first half, while the match-winning goal came from Merih Demiral, who headed in at the start of the second half. The assist for Demiral’s decisive strike was provided by Ivan Toney himself, with a perfectly weighted free kick that found the center-back. Ivan Toney’s incredible run continues. In this game, he reached 31 league goals in as many appearances for Al Ahli. The Englishman has become the fifth player in the club’s history to score 30 or more league goals.

The match was also marked by an overall subdued performance from Cristiano Ronaldo, especially a moment that will be talked about for a long time. Midway through the second half, the Portuguese star missed a chance to equalize after a cross from Joao Felix, despite being faced with only the goalkeeper. Instead of a clean first touch, Cristiano stumbled and failed to convert, after which Al Ahli managed to hold on to their lead. Even more drama followed deep into stoppage time. Al Ahli captain Majrashi received a straight red card for striking Joao Felix in the face, but just moments later Nawaf Bu Washl evened out the numbers after committing a foul as the last defender, earning himself a red card as well.