A Season To Remember: 10 highlights from record 2025-26 RSL | OneFootball

The final whistle has blown on the 2025-26 Roshn Saudi League, and what a season it was, with history made on multiple fronts, final-day drama at both ends of the table, and countless storylines in between.

As the dust slowly settles on a thrilling campaign, we look back at 10 highlights from the 2025-26 RSL.

Al Nassr snap title drought

It went down to the final day, after drama in the Capital Derby in the penultimate week, but finally Al Nassr ended their seven-year title drought and delivered Cristiano Ronaldo a coveted piece of silverware.

With a club record number of wins (28) and points (86) in a single season, the arrival of Jorge Jesus transformed Al Nassr from contenders last season into a winning machine, with Ronaldo bagging another 28 goals and dazzling debutant Joao Felix named the season’s best player.

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Al Hilal go undefeated

One of the craziest statistics to come out from this season is the fact that Al Hilal, who were pipped to the title on the final day, finished the campaign unbeaten under manager Simone Inzaghi.

Such feats are rare in international football, but it marks the second time in three seasons the Riyadh giants have achieved the feat. While 2023-24 brought with it a dominant championship win, this season saw them fall agonisingly short, with a run of five draws in seven games across January and February proving their undoing.

So close for Al Hilal, and yet so far.

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Quinones snatches Golden Boot

One of many accolades decided on the very last day was, remarkably, the golden boot, with Mexican international Julian Quinones storming ahead of Ivan Toney in remarkable fashion.

The duo, both headed to the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, had been engaged in a season-long battle for the individual honour but, with Toney leading by two goals ahead of Al Qadsiah’s final fixture, the Englishman looked to have done enough.

However, a stunning hat-trick at Al Ittihad in a 5-1 win meant Quinones edged ahead in a history-making campaign that, for the first time ever, saw two players finish with 30-plus goals.

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Final-Day Stunner

Al Riyadh spent nine of the closing 10 weeks of the season entrenched in the relegation zone - but that one week was the one that mattered.

That’s right: their 1-0, Matchweek 34 victory at home to already-relegation Al Okhdood catapulted Al Riyadh to jump one point clear of Damac and, critically, to safety.

It completed a miracle recovery across those nine rounds, with Mauricio Dulac’s side winning four and drawing two, including two wins and a draw in their final three. When it was all said and done, those hard-earned 14 points made all the difference.

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Cristiano turns back clock

No look back at the highlights of this season can be complete without a mention of Ronaldo’s stunning overhead-kick against Al Khaleej back in November.

It was the goal that went viral around the world as the 40-year-old wound back the clock, turning Nawaf Al Boushal’s lofted cross into a moment that will be etched into RSL folklore.

In a career littered with iconic moments, it showed that, even into his fifth decade, the 100-goal RSL superstar still has what it takes to create global headlines.

Cristiano Ronaldo scores incredible overhead kick for Al Nassr v Al Khaleej

Lightning strikes twice in Buraidah

One of the good-news stories of the season was the form of Al Taawoun, who inserted themselves into the top five battle in a way few saw coming.

The return of Pericles Chamusca proved a masterstroke, with the Brazilian picking up where he left off in the 2023-24 season: Al Taawoun sat snuggly in the top three for 10 straight rounds from Matchweek 5 to 15, only dropping out of the top five in the final weeks.

However, even if they eventually came home sixth, a return to continental football beckons for a club that loves punching above its weight.

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Capital Derby drama

Be it the Sea Derby, Eastern Derby or any other of the derbies across the league, all were filled with drama this season. Yet none more so than the Capital Derby.

If Al Hilal’s come-from-behind 3-1 win in their first encounter - it gave Inzaghi’s side the ascendency in the title race - wasn’t enough, nothing could prepare us for the drama of their Matchweek 32 fixture.

That’s where, eight minutes into injury-time and with Al Nassr 1-0 up and poised to secure the top-flight trophy by defeating their arch rivals, their title celebrations were suddenly put on hold. Almost inexplicably, Bento fumbled the ball into his own net with the final action of the game.

Al Kholood's Transformation

One of the most fascinating elements of this season has been the transformation of Al Kholood, with US investor the Harburg Group becoming the first foreign-owned club in the RSL and immediately getting to work transforming them.

From new logos, new kits and new stars, not to mention a history-making run to the King’s Cup final, this was a campaign of change. And, through his openness on social media, frontman Ben Harburg brought everyone, whether they were Al Kholood fans or not, along for the captivating ride.

And this seems only the beginning, especially with the likes of 2025-26 SPL Best Young Talent Abdulaziz Al Elewa in their ranks.

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Toney turns it on

While he was ultimately pipped to the golden boot by Quinones, there’s no shying away from the fact Toney was one of the standout stars of this season.

With four hat-tricks, equalling the single-season record, and 39 goal contributions - the second most behind Ronaldo’s 46 in 2023-24 - Toney was as dominant as a striker has been.

In all, he contributed to 55 percent of all Al Ahli’s goals this season, the second-highest percentage in the league and second only to Al Shabab’s Yannick Carrasco (59%). So good was Toney’s form, he earned a recall to the England national team for the FIFA World Cup.

RSL top scorer Ivan Toney puts Al Ahli in front in Sea Derby v Al Ittihad

Al Qadsiah leave it late

There were so many dramatic finishes this season, but one of the craziest was Al Qadsiah’s stoppage-time heroics against Al Ahli in Matchweek 26.

Trailing 2-0 at half time, Brendan Rodgers’ side looked out of the contest before staging a remarkable second-half comeback.

Having already pulled one back, goals in the 92nd and 99th minutes from Turki Al Ammar and Ibrahim Mahnashi, respectively, ensured Al Qadsiah snatched a remarkable three points in one of the games of the 2025-26 RSL.

In doing so, the victory that kept alive the hosts’ title hopes and damaged those of Al Ahli.