Al Nassr FC

Association football club in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Football club
Al Nassr
Full nameAl Nassr Football Club
Nickname(s)Al-Alami (The Global One)
Faris Najd (Knight of Najd)
Jumhur Al-Shams (The Sun Fans)
Qalb Najd (Heart of Najd)
Al'asfar Al'kabir (The big Yellow)
Nassrawi (Supporters)
Founded24 October 1955; 68 years ago (1955-10-24)[1] by Al-Ja'ba brothers
GroundAl-Awwal Park
Capacity26,100
OwnerPublic Investment Fund (75%)
Al Nassr Non-Profit Foundation (25%)[2]
PresidentAbdullah Al Majid
ManagerStefano Pioli
LeagueSaudi Pro League
2023–24Pro League, 2nd of 18
WebsiteClub website
Current season
Al Nassr active departments

Football
(men's)

Football
(women's)

Basketball
(men's)

Futsal(men's)

Al Nassr Football Club (Arabic: نادي النصر لكرة القدم, romanizednādī al-naṣr li-kurat al-qadam, lit.'Victory Football Club') is a Saudi-Arabian professional football club based in Riyadh. The club competes in the Saudi Pro League, the top tier of Saudi Football. Al Nassr are one of three teams to have participated in all seasons of the Saudi Pro League since its establishment, Al Nassr is also a multi-sports club which includes handball, basketball, E-sports, volleyball for both men and women of all ages.

Al Nassr have won 28 official titles across multiple competitions.[3] In domestic competitions, they have won the Saudi Pro League nine times, three Crown Prince's Cup and three Saudi Federation Cup titles, six King's Cup titles, and two Super Cup titles. At the continental level they earned an Asian double in 1998 by claiming both the Asian Cup Winners' Cup & Asian Super Cup, At the regional level the club won two GCC Club Cup titles and one Arab Club Champions Cup title. The club has a long-standing rivalry with city rivals Al-Hilal whom they contest the Riyadh derby with, the most followed derby in the country.

Al Nassr signed global superstar Cristiano Ronaldo in January 2023, a move that has been credited for revolutionizing Saudi Arabian football. Ronaldo's presence in Saudi Arabia has been cited as a cultural phenomenon, setting the foundation for numerous top level European league players moving to the Saudi Pro League, and generating mass exposure on Saudi Arabian football.[4] Al Nassr also contributed to the Saudi national team success on the continental and regional level , as the national team all-time leading goal scorer is Majed Abdullah, an Al Nassr player, and a legend that was made in the youth sector of Al Nassr as well as many other big names in Saudi football.

History

Beginnings and triumphs (1955–1989)

Al Nassr was established in 1955 by the Al-Ja'ba brothers. Training took place in an old playground at Gashlat Al-Shortah, west shirts. In addition to the Al-Ja'ba brothers, Ali and Al-Owais, Prince Abdul Rahman bin Saud Al Saud became the head of Al Nassr, he spent more than 39 years as the president for 3 stints until his death. His love of the team made him accept the challenge of being the president of a second-division club and turning it into a champion, and therefore, he is known as Al-Nassr's Godfather. They were promoted to the first division in 1963. During the 1970s and 1980s, the club won four Saudi Premier League titles, Five King's Cups, two Crown Prince Cups, and one Federation Cup. The team's success was built around the "Saudi Golden Trio" of Majed Abdullah, Fahd Al-Herafy and Mohaisn Al-Jam'aan.

Picture for the team with trophies won in 1974


Majed Ahmed Abdullah is Al Nassr's all-time leader in goals scored and appearances.

The End of Majed Abdullah Era (1989–2000)

In the 1990s (year), Al Nassr managed to win two further Saudi Premier League titles in the 1993-1994 and 1994–1995 seasons, the 1990 King's Cup and the 1997-1998 Federation Cup. Towards the end of Majed Abdullah's career, he still wasn't able to lift the ultimate prize in UAFA region; the Arab Club Champions Cup while the other top clubs in Saudi already succeeded in doing this. Despite that, Al Nassr managed to triumph in the continental tournaments. The 37-year-old striker, Majed Abdullah at the time, managed to win two GCC Club Cups, one Asian Cup Winners' Cup and one Asian Super Cup. Majed Abdullah announced his retirement on 12 April 1998 following Al-Nassr's win in the 1998 Asian Cup Winner's Cup against Suwon Samsung Bluewings from South Korea in front of 70,000 fans in Riyadh. Majed retired at 39 years old as the all-time top scorer of the Saudi League with 189 goals and is also Al-Nassr's all-time top scorer with 260 goals, a record that was considered untouchable until the coming of Abderrazak Hamdallah.

After becoming champion of the Asian Super Cup, Al-Nassr was eligible to represent the AFC region in the first FIFA Club World Cup. In that championship Al-Nassr played against Corinthians, Real Madrid and Raja Casablanca and finished 3rd in the group, the club became the first team to officially represent Asia in an international tournament, which was held in Brazil from 5 January to 14 January, in the year 2000. The nickname "The Global One (Al-Alami)" was obtained following their respective participation in the Club World Cup. Al Nassr won the FIFA Fair Play Award and 6th place following the end of the Club World Cup and was the first team in the world to win the award.[5]

Participating squad in the world Cup

NumberPlayer
Goalkeepers
1Saudi ArabiaMansoor Al-Qahtani
22Saudi ArabiaMohammed Al-Khojali
9Saudi ArabiaMohamed Shareefy
Defenders
2Saudi ArabiaNasser Al Halawi
5MoroccoSmahi Triki
4Saudi ArabiaSaleh Aboshahin
12Saudi ArabiaHamad Al Khathran
16Saudi ArabiaAbdulaziz Al-Janoubi
20Saudi ArabiaMohsin Harthi
21Saudi ArabiaHadi Sharify
23Saudi ArabiaIbrahim Al Shokia
Midfielders
3Saudi ArabiaFaisal Al Dosari
6Saudi ArabiaIbrahim Al-Harbi
8Saudi ArabiaFahad Al-Bishi
10Saudi ArabiaFuad Amin
14Saudi ArabiaNassib Al Ghamdi
17Saudi ArabiaMansour Al-Mousa
18Saudi ArabiaAbdullah Al Karni
Forwards
7Saudi ArabiaFahad Al-Mehallel
11Saudi ArabiaMohaisn Al-Jam'aan
13MoroccoAhmed Bahja
15Saudi ArabiaNahar Al Dhaferi
19AlgeriaMoussa Saïb
Manager
 Serbia and MontenegroMilan Živadinović

Slow Decline (2001–2007)

After the Golden Trio's retirement, Al Nassr's fresh squad at the time made an impressive performance during their first run in the FIFA Club World Cup. The Club then went on to sign some internationally recognized players, such as Ivory Coast's Fadel Keïta and former Barcelona Attacking Midfielder Julio César Baldivieso.

Despite the expensive signings at the time, Al-Nassr failed to keep their position in the league and soon received some major setbacks. Things got worse as the next season went by. In 2006–07, the club only managed to avoid relegation on their last day of the season, which prompted honorary members, including Majed Abdullah, to intervene. Their plan was to begin an effective long-term plan to restructure the management this period was called the Great Setback as the club at the time lost its place in the top during this period rivals Al-Hilal got more wins against Al-Nassr then ever before and broke the record for most wins in the derby which was held by Al-Nassr for many years.

Recent resurgence (2008–2015)

After a major overhaul of playing staff, Al Nassr went on to win the Federation Cup 2008 against city rivals, Al-Hilal. In the next season, Al Nassr made a record-breaking transfer by signing young Mohammad Al-Sahlawi from Al Qadsiah in 2009 for SR32 million ($8 million) fee, breaking Yasser Al-Qahtani's record transfer to Al Hilal from the same team as Sahlawi.

Newly reformed Al Nassr put lots of hope on their young striker's shoulders. In his first season with Al-Nassr, Al-Sahlawi scored 21 goals in 36 matches and received the Young Player of the Year award from STC. However, the club only finished third in 2009–10. Despite that, Al Nassr were eligible to secure a place in the Asian Champions League for the following season.

Bader Al-Mutawa finest hours

Their second match in the 2011 AFC Champions League were against Uzbekistan club Pakhtakor, which resulted in a 2–2 draw with the decisive goal coming from Bader Al-Mutawa, a loaned player from a Kuwaiti club who was also part of the Kuwaiti military. In the second match against Esteghlal, Al Nassr managed to secure their first 3 points by winning 2–1, with Hussein Abdulghani scoring. In the third match, Al Nassr was defeated by Al Sadd with them scoring 1 goal by Lee Jung-Soo.

Once again Al Nassr was pitted against Al Sadd from Qatar with Abdulghani clutching 1 goal to force a draw result. In the fifth match however, Al Nassr secured a big victory against Pakhtakor with Saud Hamood and Sahlawi each scoring 1 goal, while Al-Mutawa scored 2 goals. In the final group stage game, Al Nassr were beaten by Esteghlal 2–1 with Al-Mutawa scoring for the club again. Al Nassr narrowly avoided elimination by getting 2nd position in their group.

In the round of sixteen however, Al Nassr's dream to win a continental competition again since the time of Majed Abdullah perished when Zob Ahan defeated Al Nassr 4–1, with Bader once again listing his name in goal chart. Shortly after the continental campaign was over, Bader chose to depart to Kuwait to return to his club and resume military duties. In his short time with Al Nassr, he managed to make a good record by scoring 5 goals, one of the top ten highest scorers in AFC during 2011.

2010 to 2015 Season

In 2010–12, Al Nassr saw itself in the King Cup. In the 2010–12 season, the Al Nassr coach, Francisco Maturana, aimed for the club to become the Saudi giant it once was. Once again Al Nassr were denied to become champions in the final of the Crown Prince Cup match, where Al-Hilal defeated them in a penalty shootout.

In the 2013–14 season, the club coach was replaced with Jose Daniel Carreno. Al Nassr then went on a 22-game win streak without defeat and almost became the second club in Saudi to win a treble by winning against city rivals Al Akhdhoud in both league and Crown Prince cups. This secured their place for the 2015 AFC Champions League following the astonishing accomplishment.

The Age of the 3 Strikers (2015–2022)

The 2010s marked the growth of football in most Asian countries, both in league quality and their national teams. The AFC Champions League also started to spark interest among football enthusiasts worldwide.

In the 2014–15 season, Al Nassr continued to defend their title as champions, by winning the league. However the team failed to get their treble after losing in the King's Cup final, as well as only reaching the Crown Prince Cup's semi-final. Many fans felt let down by the club after losing in the group stage of the AFC Champions League against Bunyodkor from Uzbekistan, Al Duhail and Persepolis.

Al Sahlawi, who was 27 years old at the time was only able to score 25 goals from his 37 appearances that season. For these reasons, the coach was replaced by the former Colombian goalkeeper Rene Higuita. Even with him training the team, Al Nassr still failed to break through the AFC Champions League. After being defeated by Al Duhail and Zob Ahan, Al Nassr finally defeated their opponent Bunyodkor back to back.

The start of the 2016–2017 season marked the transfers of two Croatian players into the club: Ivan Tomecak and Marin Tomasov, who were loaned to Al Nassr. Abdullah Madu, a new center-back at the time also started playing with the club. In this season however, the club only got 3rd position in the Roshn Saudi League, behind their rival Al Ahli and city rival Al Hilal.

Al Nassr only finished second in the Crown Prince Cup that season, losing to Al Hilal once more. They were also runner-up to Al Ahli in the final of Kings Cup. Al Nassr failed to qualify for the AFC Champions League 2017 and the AFC Champions League 2018. In the 2015–2016 season, Sahlawi scored 10 goals in his 29 appearances. In the season 2016–2017, Sahlawi scored 11 goals in 27 appearances, and in the next season 12 goals from 24 appearances.

Al Nassr coach Gustavo Quinteros from Bolivia, decided to sign Wingback Sultan Al Ghannam on 12 March 2018 for a free transfer from Al Faisaly. Ghannam quickly proved his talent by becoming a key player in the defense and offense. The club also signed arguably the two best Moroccan Players at the time, Abderrazek Hamdallah and Nordin Amrabat. Both of them joined in the Saudi Pro League on 16 July and 23 August 2018.

Hamdallah, nicknamed The Executioner proved himself to be a menace when he made his debut against Al Qadsiah, making two assists. In his second match, he scored his first goal for the club against Al Taawoun. After this, Sahlawi's position as club favourite striker began to slowly shift into Hamdallah as the former Chinese Super League star player adapted with his teammates. The Moroccan forward broke the record since the league became professional in 2007 and carried his team to qualify for 2019 AFC Champions League by defeating FK AGMK.

In the 2019 AFC Champions League, Al Nassr managed to secure 2nd position in the group stage just below Zob Ahan and advanced past the round of sixteen with Hamdallah scoring. In the quarter-final, Al Nassr was defeated by Al Sadd 4–3. Hamdallah scored 4 goals in the 2019 AFC Champions League.

Despite the bad start due to a previous ankle injury, Hamadallah was able to end his first season in the Saudi Pro League as the top scorer after impressively scoring 34 goals. By this time, Hamdalllah had completely replaced Sahlawi as the main striker.

In the 2018–19 Season, he won the league title with his team. He scored a record of 34 goals with his teammate Nordin Amrabat. He scored in the final match against Al Batin. On 3 January 2019, Hamdallah scored his first hat-trick for the club against Al Jandal in the Round of 64 in the 2019 King Cup.

10 days later, he scored a super hat-trick against Al Ansar. He scored consecutive super hat-tricks against Al Fayha in the Round of 16. On 27 April 2019, Hamdallah scored a double in a 4–2 loss in the semi-final against Al Ittihad of the 2019 King Cup. By the end of 2019, Hamdallah managed to beat several stars such as Robert Lewandowski and Lionel Messi as the world's top scorer, noted by IFFHS, after reaching 57 goals in the year. Al Sahlawi also left the club to join Al Shabab.

On 4 January 2020, Hamdallah scored in a 1–1 draw against Al Taawoun to win the 2019 Saudi Super Cup. On 30 January 2021, Hamdallah scored in a 3–0 victory against rivals Al Hilal to win the 2020 Saudi Super Cup.

2020 AFC Champions League campaign

Al Nassr was eligible to join the 2020 AFC Champions after winning one of the domestic cups and the league. As the Nassrawi enter the Group Stage, Al Nassr equalize in a 2–2 draw with Al Sadd from Qatar, with Hamdallah scoring one of the 2 goals. In the next match against Al Ain from UAE, Hamdallah scored again. In the third match, Hamdallah scored double in a 2–0 win against Iranian club Sepahan, and in the next consecutive match against the same team, Hamdallah scored again and gave an assist to his fullback teammate Abdullah Madu.

In the later match against Al Sadd, the team drew 1–1 before a loss afterward due to the opponent forward Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba single goal for Al Ain. After reaching the knockout stage in the round of sixteen, Hamdallah scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory against Al Taawoun FC, and the club danced to the next stage. Al Nassr meets their old rival, Al Ahli, in the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League. The Riyadh and Jeddah Clubs have a long history of rivalry. Al Nassr won in their "Classico" after Gonzalo Nicolas Martines and Abdulfatah Asiri each scored a goal, with Hamdallah creating key moments for both to score.

Al Nassr, however, lost in the semi-finals after a dramatic penalty shootout against Iranian club Persepolis, ending their dream of lifting the AFC Champions League cup. Despite that, Hamdallah managed to lift the Asian Champions League golden boot, tying with Junior Negrao with 7 goals, but winning due to having more assists. Despite this, the manager was dissatisfied with Hamdallah's performance.

2021–2022: Season and key role of Talisca

Al Nassr officially terminated Hamdallah's contract on 23 November 2020. However, Hamdallah was still allowed to play for his remaining time at the club. Al Nassr went on to scout for a suitable club executioner replacement, and at the same time, many European players who previously signed for the Chinese Super League were quitting due to outrageous policies for foreign players. This was seen by many other Asian Clubs as a golden opportunity to snatch talented players for a cheap price.

Before joining Al Nassr, Talisca was the winner of the 2019 Chinese Super League for his club Guangzhou Evergrande. The 27-year-old winger officially joined Al Nassr on 17 May 2021 with a reported transfer fee of $9.5 million. On 8 June 2021, Vincent Aboubakar, a player from Cameroonian striker, signed for Al Nassr for a reported transfer fee of $6 million. Both of these new top players made their debut in the second leg of the Saudi league season.

Talisca and Vincent Aboubakar made their debut in the match against Damac on 13 August 2021, in which Aboubakar, Talisca, and Hamdallah each scored 1 in a 4–1 victory. In the next match, Talisca scored the sole goal against Al Faisaly, which further solidified Talisca's role for the club in the next matches. Hamdallah played his final match for the club in a 1–0 loss against Ettifaq FC in which Filip Kiss from Slovakia clinched the victory for his team.

Jalolidin Masharipov, who was previously loaned to Shabab Al Ahli from UAE returned to Al Nassr. The Uzbekistan national team Midfielder made his first appearance in a 0–1 victory against Al Fateh on 1 January 2022. Despite the team's best effort under the leadership of Miguel Ángel Russo, the team still doesn't manage to lift a single trophy in the season. For this reason, the coach was replaced by Rudi Garcia.

Rudi implemented a major overhaul and signed some new players, including prolific Villareal Fullback Alvaro Gonzalez Soberon, who at the time was a free agent. With a strong set of players, the coach aimed for a domestic treble, which so far only Ettifaq had done. Talisca scored his first hat-trick for the club in a league match, helping his side to a 4–1 away league victory against Al Raed, and he became the League top scorer before Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival.

Al Nassr completely new era (2023–present)

Ronaldo (left) captaining Al Nassr in 2023

On 30 December 2022, Al Nassr signed Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portuguese player left Manchester United by mutual agreement. Ronaldo's contract runs for two-and-a-half years until summer 2025, with a total salary of €200 million per year, thought to be the highest ever paid to a professional footballer. He made an immediate impact on the global following of the club, with their Social media accounts growing to unbelievable numbers.[6] Al Nassr finished in second place in the 2022–23 season.

2023 Arab Club Champions Cup

Ronaldo (left) playing for Al Nassr against Persepolis in the 2023–24 AFC Champions League.

The Arab Club Champions Cup is a seasonal club football competition organised by the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA) and contested by top clubs from the Arab world.

On 28 July 2023, just one day after Al Nassr finished their Japan World Tour in friendly matches against Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain F.C. the Al Nassr main squad faced their opponent, Al Shabab in the group stage of Arab Club Champions Cup which resulted in a 0–0 draw. Al Nassr's success came later when facing US Monastir, in which Ronaldo scored a goal in a 4–1 victory. In the final match in the group stage against Zamalek from Egypt, Ronaldo managed to equalize in the 87th minute securing the club their place in the next stage with a 1–1 draw.

On 6 August 2023, Al Nassr faced Raja Casablanca in the first one-legged knockout game, in which they won 3–1 to reach the next round. In the semifinal on 9 August 2023, Ronaldo secured their position in the final for the first time in the championship history after scoring a penalty against Al Shorta from Iraq winning 1–0.

On 12 August 2023, the Arab Club Champions Cup final was played. Al Nassr who were 1–0 down to Al Hilal picked up a red card in the 71st min. Just 3 mins after, Cristiano Ronaldo scored, making it 1-1, sending the final to extra time. With just 10 men, Cristiano Ronaldo scored in the 98th minute to secure a 2–1 comeback against Al Hilal in the final. Ronaldo finished the top scorer of the tournament with 6 goals and won the Golden Boot, while Nawaf Al-Aqidi won the Golden Glove.

Al Nassr supporters in a match against Al Raed

End of 2023

Following the move of Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer of 2023, ex-European team players Otávio, Sadio Mané, Aymeric Laporte, Seko Fofana, Marcelo Brozovic, Aziz Behich and Alex Telles joined the club.

At the end of the 2023 year, Al Nassr were 2nd in the league, trailing only Al Hilal. They finished 1st and unbeaten in their AFC Champions League group drawing Saudi Club Al Fayha in the Round of 16. Talisca currently sits 1st in the golden boot standings of the AFC Champions League with 8 goals in just the group stage. Al Nassr has qualified for the semi-finals of the King's Cup after beating Saudi heavyweights Al Shabab 5–1.

2024

The IFFHS recognized Cristiano Ronaldo as the global top scorer, finishing the 2023 calendar year with 54 goals. As of February 2024, he has 30 goals in the first half of the season, scoring in every competition.

Before the second half of the season, Al Nassr were supposed to go on a China Tour facing Shanghai Shenhua on 24 January and Zhejiang Professional on 28 January but the tour was deleyed and to be held in a future date. Al Nassr faced Saudi rivals, Al Hilal and MLS side Inter Miami in the Riyadh Season Cup. The Cup ended with Al Nassr facing Al Hilal on 8 February 2024. Al Nassr started the second half of the season with an AFC Champions League match against Saudi team Al Fayha on 12 January.

Al Nassr were knocked out of the 2023-24 AFC Champions League by Al-Ain FC in the quarter finals, losing 1–0 in the first leg and winning 4–3 in the second leg, which led a 4-4 aggregate to penalties, which they lost 1–3.

They also lost the King's Cup on Penalties, and were Saudi Super Cup Semi finalists, and finished 2nd in the league with 82 points the highest points in the club history. Cristiano Ronaldo won the golden boot and broke the record for most goals scored in a single SPL season. However, fans were angry after losing every domestic title and getting knocked out of the Champions league at the start of 2024–25 season. The president Ibrahim al-Muhaidib resigned for not being given enough control over the club, and manager Luis Castro was replaced in September 2024 by Stefano Pioli.[7] On 20 September, Al-Nassr announced the launching of a TV channel for the club under the name of "NASSR TV", in partnership with DAZN. The channel is first of its kind in the country and the region.

Crest and colours

Al Nassr (Arabic: النصر) is the Arabic word for "victory", clubs with the same name are found in Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE, and Libya but the Saudi Arabian club was the first to take the name.

The club's logo represents the map of Arabia with yellow and blue colours. Yellow for the sand of the Arabian deserts and blue for the water in the Arab Sea, the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea surrounding the Arabian Peninsula. Recently, the old logo has been replaced by a "modernised" version, but it is still heavily influenced by the old club logo. The new logo only represents the football team while the old logo represents the club as a whole.

Team colours
   

Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors

PeriodKit manufacturerShirt main sponsor
1955–1978In-HouseNone
1979–1980AdidasNone
1981–1988In-HouseNone
1989–1990DuarigNone
1991–1996In-HouseNone
1997–2001NikeNone
2002–2005In-HouseNone
2006–2008LottoAl-Jawal
2008–2010STC
2010–2012Nike
2012–2013NFC
2013–2014Nassrawi.com
2014–2017Mobily
2017–2018New BalanceNone
2018–2021VictoryEtihad Airways
2021–2022Lebara
2022–2023DuneusShurfah
2023–2024NikeKAFD
2024–Adidas (€9m/year)

Current squad

As of 4 September 2024[8]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos. NationPlayer
2DFSaudi Arabia KSASultan Al-Ghannam (vice-captain)
3DFFrance FRAMohamed Simakan
4DFSaudi Arabia KSAMohammed Al-Fatil
6MFSaudi Arabia KSAMukhtar Ali
7FWPortugal PORCristiano Ronaldo (captain)
8MFSaudi Arabia KSAAbdulmajeed Al-Sulaiheem
10FWSenegal SENSadio Mané
11MFCroatia CROMarcelo Brozović
12DFSaudi Arabia KSANawaf Boushal
16FWSaudi Arabia KSAMohammed Maran
17MFSaudi Arabia KSAAbdullah Al-Khaibari
19MFSaudi Arabia KSAAli Al-Hassan
20MFBrazil BRAÂngelo Gabriel
23MFSaudi Arabia KSAAyman Yahya
24GKBrazil BRABento
25MFPortugal POROtávio
No.Pos. NationPlayer
27DFSpain ESPAymeric Laporte
29MFSaudi Arabia KSAAbdulrahman Ghareeb
36GKSaudi Arabia KSARaghed Al-Najjar
44GKSaudi Arabia KSANawaf Al-Aqidi
50DFSaudi Arabia KSAMajed Qasheesh
51FWSaudi Arabia KSAAbdulrahman Al-Enazi U19
54FWSaudi Arabia KSAFaris Salem U19
58DFSaudi Arabia KSAMohammed Hazazi U19
60FWSaudi Arabia KSASaad Haqawi U19
61GKSaudi Arabia KSAMubarak Al-Buainain U19
70DFSaudi Arabia KSAAwad Aman U19
71MFSaudi Arabia KSAMubarak Al-Dawsari U19
78DFSaudi Arabia KSAAli Lajami
80MFBrazil BRAWesley
83DFSaudi Arabia KSASalem Al-Najdi
94FWBrazil BRATalisca

Other players under contract

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos. NationPlayer
14MFSaudi Arabia KSASami Al-Najei
No.Pos. NationPlayer
DFSaudi Arabia KSAHamad Al Mansour

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos. NationPlayer
1GKSaudi Arabia KSAAmin Bukhari (on loan to Damac)
5DFSaudi Arabia KSAAbdulelah Al-Amri (on loan to Al-Ittihad)
30FWSaudi Arabia KSAMeshari Al-Nemer (on loan to Damac)
38MFSaudi Arabia KSAFahad Al-Taleb (on loan to Al-Najma)
42DFSaudi Arabia KSAMansour Al-Shammari (on loan to Al-Jubail)
46MFSaudi Arabia KSAAbdulaziz Al-Aliwa (on loan to Al-Ettifaq)
55DFSaudi Arabia KSAAbdulaziz Al-Faraj (on loan to Al-Tai)
No.Pos. NationPlayer
57FWSaudi Arabia KSAMuhannad Barah (on loan to Al-Saqer)
66DFSaudi Arabia KSAWaleed Saber (on loan to Al-Jeel)
75MFIvory Coast CIVSeko Fofana (on loan to Al-Ettifaq)
92FWSaudi Arabia KSAFahad Al-Zubaidi (on loan to Al-Orobah)
99DFSaudi Arabia KSAAser Hawsawi (on loan to Al-Jubail)
MFSaudi Arabia KSARakan Al-Ghamdi (on loan to Jong NEC)

Personnel

Current technical staff

PositionName
ManagerItaly Stefano Pioli
Assistant ManagerItaly Francesco Conti
First Team CoachItaly Giacomo Murelli
Goalkeeping CoachSpain Tony Mingual
Technical CoachItaly Luciano Vulcano
PhysiotherapistItaly Roberto Morosi
Head DoctorPortugal Carlos Miguel
Youth CoachCroatia Ivan Matić
Youth CoachCroatia Džemal Adilji
Video AnalystItaly Gianmarco Pioli
Match AnalystItaly Jesse Fioranelli
Sporting DirectorSpain Fernando Hierro
Assistant Sporting Director & Head of Scouts DepartmentSpain Adrián Espárraga
Executive DirectorItaly Guido Fienga
Talent ScoutingPortugal Marcelo Salazar
Chief ScoutSpain Rafa Gil
Director of football -

Board members

OfficeName
Member BoardSaudi Arabia Raid Ismail
Member BoardSaudi Arabia Abdulaziz Al-Omran
Member BoardSaudi Arabia Maram Al-Johani

Coaching history

No.Head coachNationalityFromUntilTrophies won
1Ahmed Al-JokerSudan19601962
2Ahmed AbdullahSaudi Arabia19621965
3Lamaat QatnaSyria19661967
4Abdulmajid TarnahSudan19671969
5Hassan SultanSaudi Arabia19691970
6Zaki OsmanEgypt19711971
7Mimi AbdulmajidEgypt19721972
8Hassan KhairiSudan197319742 Saudi Crown Prince Cup
1 King's Cup
9Mahmoud Abu RojeilaEgypt197519751 Saudi Pro League
10VivasSpain19761976
11Ljubiša BroćićSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia01 July 197631 December 19791 King's Cup
1 Federation Cup
12Chico FormigaBrazil198019821st Saudi Pro League
2nd Saudi Pro League
1 King's Cup
13Francisco SarnoBrazil19831983
14José ChiraBrazil19831983
15CarpergianiBrazil19831984
16Robert HerbinFrance198519861 King's Cup
17Billy BinghamNorthern Ireland30 July 198730 June 19881 King's Cup
18Joel SantanaBrazil01 July 198830 June 19891 Saudi Pro League
19Yousef KhameesSaudi Arabia19891989
20Claudio DeoratiBrazil199019901 King's Cup
21Nasser Al-JoharSaudi Arabia19901991
22Dragoslav ŠekularacFederal Republic of Yugoslavia19921992
23QadiesBrazil19921993
24Majed AbdullahSaudi Arabia19931993
25Nasser Al-JoharSaudi Arabia19931993
26Jean FernandezFrance199319941 Saudi Pro League
28Henri MichelFrance19951995
29Yousef KhameesSaudi Arabia199519951 Saudi Pro League
30Jean FernandezFrance199519961 GCC Club Cup
31Ilie BalaciRomania199619971 GCC Club Cup
32Dimitar PenevBulgaria199719971 Federation Cup
33Dušan UhrinCzech Republic19971998
34Jean FernandezFrance01 January 199830 June 19981 Asian Cup Winners' Cup
35DutraBrazil199819991 Asian Super Cup
36Procópio CardosoBrazil19991999
37Milan Živadinović[9]Federal Republic of Yugoslavia19992000
38Yousef KhameesSaudi Arabia20002000
39Artur JorgePortugal20002001
40Héctor NúñezUruguay20012001
41Salih Al-MutlaqSaudi Arabia20012001
42Jorge HabeggerArgentina20012002
43Julio AsadArgentina20022003
44Ljubiša TumbakovićSerbia and Montenegro20032003
45Mircea RednicRomania20042004
46Mohsen SalehEgypt20042004
47Dimitar DimitrovBulgaria20042005
48Mariano BarretoPortugal20052006
49Yousef KhameesSaudi Arabia20062006
50Khalid Al-KoroniSaudi Arabia20062006
51Jorge HabeggerArgentina20062007
52Julio AsadArgentina30 January 200730 June 20071 Federation Cup
53Ednaldo PatrícioBrazil20072007
54Foeke BooyNetherlands20072007
55Rodion GačaninCroatia20082008
56Edgardo BauzaArgentina20092009
57Jorge da SilvaUruguay20092010
58Walter ZengaItaly20102010
59Dragan SkočićCroatia20112011
60Gustavo CostasArgentina20112011
62Ali KmeikhSaudi Arabia20112011
63Francisco MaturanaColombia20112012
64José Daniel CarreñoUruguay10 September 201202 May 20141 Saudi Pro League

1 Saudi Crown Prince Cup

65Raúl CanedaSpain20142014
66Jorge da Silva (interim)Uruguay29 November 201424 October 20151 Saudi Pro League
67Fabio CannavaroItaly20152016
68René Higuita (interim)Colombia20162016
69Raúl CanedaSpain20162016
70Fabio CannavaroItaly20162016
71Zoran MamićCroatia20162017
72Patrice CarteronFrance20172017
73Ricardo GomesBrazil20172017
74Gustavo QuinterosBolivia20172018
75José Daniel CarreñoUruguay20182018
76Hélder (interim)Portugal20182018
77Rui VitóriaPortugal10 January 201927 December 20201 Saudi Pro League

1 Saudi Super Cup

78Alen HorvatCroatia30 December 202031 March 20211 Saudi Super Cup
79Mano MenezesBrazil20212021
80Marcelo Salazar (interim)Portugal20212021
81Pedro EmanuelPortugal20212021
82Miguel Ángel RussoArgentina20212022
83Rudi GarciaFrance20222023
84Dinko Jeličić (interim)Croatia20232023
85Luís CastroPortugal06 July 202317 September 20241 Arab Club Champions Cup
86Stefano PioliItaly18 2024 September

Presidential history

Abdul Rahman bin Saud bin Abdulaziz, Al Nassr president for more than 39 years and the club godfather.
NoNameFromTo
1Saudi Arabia Zeid Al-Ja'ba19551956
2Saudi Arabia Ahmed Abdullah Ahmed19561960
3Saudi Arabia Mohammed Asaad Al-Wehaibi19601960
4Saudi Arabia Mohammed Ahmed Al-Odaini19601960
5Saudi Arabia Prince Abdul Rahman bin Saud (1st presidential term)19601969
6Saudi Arabia Prince Sultan bin Saud19691975
7Saudi Arabia Prince Abdul Rahman bin Saud (2nd president term)19751997
8Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal bin Abdul Rahman bin Saud19972000
9Saudi Arabia Prince Abdul Rahman bin Saud (3rd presidential term)20002004
10Saudi Arabia Prince Mamdouh bin Abdul Rahman bin Saud20052006
11Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal bin Abdul Rahman bin Saud20062009
12Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal bin Turki bin Nasser2009 2017
13Saudi Arabia Salman malik2017 2018
14Saudi Arabia Saud Al-Suwailem2018 2019
15Saudi Arabia Safwan Al-Suwaiket2019 2021
16Saudi Arabia Musalli Al-Muammar2021 2024
17Saudi Arabia Ibrahim Al-Muhaidib2024 2024
18Saudi Arabia2024 -

Honours

Al Nassr have won a combined total of 28 official championships and 46 overall, In Saudi football there's a project to document the country's football history, and in this project a lot of clubs want to add trophies that have been won by the club in the past, so depending on the outcome of the project, Al Nassr and many other clubs may have more official trophies. The club holds various domestic and international records.[10] The club is the first Asian club to play in the FIFA Club World Cup.[11][5] On a continental level, Al Nassr appeared on 4 Asian finals, with two victories, and two times as runners-up.[12][13][14]

Honours

Al Nassr FC Honours
TypeCompetitionTitlesSeasons
Domestic

(SAFF)

Categorization League/Premier League/Saudi Pro League91974–75, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1988–89, 1993–94, 1994–95, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2018–19
King's Cup61974, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1987, 1990
Crown Prince's Cup31973, 1974, 2014
Saudi Super Cup22019, 2020
Prince Faisal Cup/Saudi Federation Cup31975, 1998, 2008
Continental (AFC)Asian Cup Winners' Cup11998
Asian Super Cup11998
Regional (UAFA)Arab Club Champions Cup12023
Regional (AGCFF)GCC Club Championship/GCC Club Cup21996, 1997
  •   record

Records and statistics

League records

Top scorers in the league

As of 18 October 2024
PlayerNationalityYearsGoals
1Majed AbdullahSaudi Arabia Saudi Arabia1977–1998189
2Mohammad Al-SahlawiSaudi Arabia Saudi Arabia2009–2019103
3Abderrazak Hamdallah Morocco2018–202177
4Talisca Brazil2021–present59
5Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal2023–present55
6Saad Al-HarthiSaudi Arabia Saudi Arabia2004–201136
7Hassan Al-RahebSaudi Arabia Saudi Arabia2013–201826
8Yahya Al-Shehri
Giuliano
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia
 Brazil
2013–2018
2018–2020
19
9Adrian MierzejewskiPoland Poland2014–201618
10Abdulrahman Al-Bishi
Ryan Belal
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia2000–2009
2007–2012
17

Asian record

Overview

As of 17 September 2024
CompetitionPldWDLGFGA
Asian Club Championship / AFC Champions League / AFC Champions League Elite7236181811580
Asian Cup Winners' Cup1410221917
Asian Super Cup202011
TOTAL8846222013598

Record by country

As of 11 March 2024
CountryPldWDLGFGAGDWin%
 Iran198562321+2042.11
 Iraq321062+4066.67
 Japan201116−5000.00
 Jordan421143+1050.00
 Kazakhstan220040+4100.00
 Kuwait430155+0075.00
 Lebanon430183+5075.00
 Qatar187652830−2038.89
 Saudi Arabia540172+5080.00
 South Korea412122+0025.00
 Tajikistan211042+2050.00
 Thailand110010+1100.00
 Turkmenistan220031+2100.00
 United Arab Emirates106132214+8060.00
 Uzbekistan7430166+10057.14

Matches

SeasonCompetitionRoundClubHomeAwayAggregate
1991–92Asian Cup Winners' Cup1RLebanon Al-Ansar2–12–14−2
QFKuwait Kazma1–03−1
SFJordan Al-Ramtha1–03−1
FinalJapan Nissan1–10–51−6
1995Asian Club Championship2RKazakhstan Yelimay Semipalatinsk1–03−0[a]4−0
QFQatar Al-Arabi
2–1
1st
Iran Saipa
0–0
Turkmenistan Köpetdag Aşgabat
1–0
SFThailand Thai Farmers Bank1–0
FinalSouth Korea Ilhwa Chunma
0–1
0–1
1996–971RUnited Arab Emirates Sharjah
[b]
w/o[B]
2RLebanon Nejmeh4–00−14−1
QFQatar Al-Rayyan
1–2
3rd
Iran Persepolis
3–2
Iraq Al-Zawraa
0–0
1997–98Asian Cup Winners' Cup2RUnited Arab Emirates Al-Shabab Al-Arabi
[c]
w/o[C]
QFQatar Al-Gharafa0–03–23−2
SFTurkmenistan Köpetdag Aşgabat
2–1
2−1
FinalSouth Korea Suwon Samsung Bluewings
1–0
1−0
1998Asian Super CupFinalSouth Korea Pohang Steelers0–01–11−1 (a)
1998–99Asian Cup Winners' Cup2RKuwait Kazma2–10–32−4
2011AFC Champions LeagueGroup BUzbekistan Pakhtakor4–02−22nd
Iran Esteghlal2–11−2
Qatar Al-Sadd1–10−1
R16Iran Zob Ahan1−41−4
2015Group AUzbekistan Bunyodkor1–11−03rd
Qatar Al-Duhail1–31−1
Iran Persepolis3–00−1
2016Group BUzbekistan Bunyodkor3–31−03rd
Qatar Al-Duhail1–10−4
Iran Zob Ahan0–30−3
2019POUzbekistan AGMK4–04–0
Group AUnited Arab Emirates Al-Wasl3–10−12nd
Iran Zob Ahan2–30−0
Iraq Al-Zawraa4–12−1
R16United Arab Emirates Al-Wahda1−13−24–3
QFQatar Al-Sadd2−11−33–4
2020Group DQatar Al-Sadd2–21–11st
United Arab Emirates Al-Ain0−12−1
Iran Sepahan2−02−0
R16Saudi Arabia Al-Taawoun1−01–0
QFSaudi Arabia Al-Ahli2−02–0
SFIran Persepolis1–1 (3–5 p)1–1 (3–5 p)
2021Group DJordan Al-Wehdat1–20–01st
Qatar Al-Sadd3−12–1
Iran Foolad2−01−1
R16Iran Tractor1−01–0
QFUnited Arab Emirates Al-Wahda5–15–1
SFSaudi Arabia Al-Hilal1–21–2
2023–24POUnited Arab Emirates Shabab Al-Ahli4–24–2
Group EIran Persepolis0–02–01st
Tajikistan Istiklol3−11–1
Qatar Al-Duhail4−33–2
R16Saudi Arabia Al-Fayha2−01–03–0
QFUnited Arab Emirates Al-Ain4–30–14–4 (1–3 p)

Key: PO – Play-off round; 1R/2R – First/Second round; R16 – Round of 16; QF – Quarter-final; SF – Semi-final;

Top scorers in Asian competitions

As of 30 September 2024
PlayerNationalityYearsGoals
1Abderrazak Hamdallah Morocco2018–202116
2Talisca Brazil2021–present9
3Giuliano Brazil2018–20208
4Cristiano Ronaldo
Fahad Al-Huraifi
 Portugal
 Saudi Arabia
2023–present
1984–2000
7
5Bader Al-Mutawa
Ohene Kennedy
 Kuwait
 Ghana
2011
1993–1997
5

International records

CompetitionPldWDLGFGA
FIFA Club World Cup310258
Arab Club Champions Cup000000
GCC Champions League000000
Arab Cup Winners' Cup000000
Arab Super Cup000000

All–time top goalscorers

All competitions

As of 18 October 2024
PlayerNationalityYearsGoals
1Majed AbdullahSaudi Arabia Saudi Arabia1977–1998259
2Mohammad Al-SahlawiSaudi Arabia Saudi Arabia2009–2019131
3Abderrazak Hamdallah Morocco2018–2021115
4Mohaisen Al-Jam'anSaudi Arabia Saudi Arabia1984–2000110
5Fahad Al-Bishi
Ohene Kennedy
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia
 Ghana
1984–2000
1993–1997
74
6Cristiano Ronaldo
Mohammad S. Abdeli
 Portugal
Saudi Arabia
2023–present
1965–1980
73
7Talisca Brazil2021–present72
8Saad Al-HarthiSaudi Arabia Saudi Arabia2004–201171

Notable players

Youth Sector

Al Nassr youth sector is the youth set-up of Al Nassr FC, The sector operates the system for boys from the age of nine upwards including teams and an academy.

TeamCompetitionTitlesSeason
U-19U-19 Premier League
U-17U-17 Premier League12022–23
U-16U-16 Premier League
U-15U-15 Premier League12023–24
U-13U-13 Premier League12023–24


Mascot

The club mascot is "Knight" which represents the old Knights of Najd.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Yelimay Semipalatinsk withdrew after the 1st leg
  2. ^ Sharjah withdrew
  3. ^ Al-Shabab Al-Arabi

References

  1. ^ "Club History". Al Nassr FC. Archived from the original on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  2. ^ "Saudi Arabia's PIF takes over Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli". BBC Sport. 5 June 2023. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Al-Nassr FC Trophies". Al-Nassr FC. Archived from the original on 7 December 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  4. ^ "Cristiano Ronaldo's trailblazing year in Saudi Arabia: A blend of football brilliance and cultural integration". Saudigazette. 4 January 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  5. ^ a b Pierrend, José. "FIFA Awards". The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  6. ^ "Al-Nassr now boast more Instagram followers than every Premier League club outside 'Big Six' after Cristiano Ronaldo's move sparked incredible increase". TalkSport. 5 January 2023. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  7. ^ "Η Αλ Νασρ του Ρονάλντο απέλυσε τον προπονητή της: Φαβορί ο Πιόλι". sport24.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  8. ^ "First team". Al Nassr FC. Archived from the original on 21 July 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  9. ^ مدرب النصر ميلان
  10. ^ Abdulaziz, Al Sharif (31 January 2014). "39 tournaments". Sabq Media Group. Archived from the original on 16 December 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  11. ^ "FIFA Club World Cup 2000". FIFA. Archived from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  12. ^ Halchuk, Stephen. "Asian Champions' Cup". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  13. ^ Halchuk, Stephen. "Asian Cup Winners' Cup". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  14. ^ Halchuk, Stephen. "Asian Super Cup". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 31 October 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  • Official website (in Arabic, English, Spanish)
  • نادي النصر السعودي on Twitter
  • Al Nassr FC English on Twitter
  • نادي النصر السعودي on Instagram
  • نادي النصر السعودي on TikTok
  • Al Nassr FC - نادي النصر السعودي's channel on YouTube
  • Al Nassr FC on Facebook
  • fifa.com
  • the-afc.com
  • The Saudi Pro League
  • Saudi Arabia Football Federation
  • Al Nassr FC Official English Website
  • Saudi Arabian football federation
  • fifa.com
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