Cristiano Ronaldo poised for selection as Al Nassr host Al Diriyah in Saudi King’s Cup round of 32

Al Nassr will face Al Diriyah at Al-Awwal Park on August 18, 2026 in the Saudi King’s Cup 2026-27 round of 32, with Cristiano Ronaldo training with the first team and available for selection for the match.

Led by Ange Postecoglou, Al Nassr — nicknamed The Big Yellow — begin this King’s Cup tie after opening their Saudi Pro League 2026-27 campaign with a 3-0 win over Al Fateh; Angelo Gabriel, Joao Felix and Samu Costa scored the goals. The club managed only one victory in four pre-season games before the league opener. Al Nassr secured the Saudi top division title last season and enter the cup round aiming to defend their league crown and pursue the King’s Cup.

Ronaldo joined the Al Nassr squad before the league opener against Al Fateh but was not included in that matchday squad and did not feature in any pre-season fixtures. According to the article, he can be included in the squad for the Al Diriyah versus Al Nassr King’s Cup match and is training with the first team. The report states there is a high chance of him making an appearance in the tie.

The 41-year-old Portuguese talisman got married on August 11 to his long-term girlfriend, Georgia Rodriguez. Even if Ronaldo is not named in the starting XI for the cup game, the article says he will likely make an appearance from the bench. Recently, during an interview with VOGUE, he mentioned, “This may truly be my last year in football. I want to leave an amazing legacy. When football is gone, it can leave a big void, and you have to fill your time with different things planned, not just one thing.”

In 142 matches for the Saudi Pro League club, CR7 has scored 123 goals. The piece also includes the lines: Next mission: #NassrAlDiriyah 🏆💛 pic.twitter.com/vJBtxZT9KX. For more updates, the article invites readers to follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join the community on Telegram.

The immediate outcome to watch is whether Ronaldo is named in the matchday squad and features at Al-Awwal Park in the Saudi King’s Cup 2026-27 round of 32 between Al Diriyah and Al Nassr.