Rising star João Félix has been awarded the Saudi Pro League‘s player of the season, surpassing contenders from Al Nassr and his Portugal teammate Cristiano Ronaldo.
The announcement was made on Friday, following João Félix and Ronaldo’s contributions to Al Nassr’s recent Saudi Pro League title win. This victory marked Ronaldo’s first significant title since his move to Saudi Arabia in late 2022.
Ronaldo netted two goals in Al Nassr’s 4-1 victory over Damac, securing the title by finishing two points ahead of Al Hilal. With this performance, the 41-year-old accumulated 28 goals for the season.
João Félix was equally impressive, scoring 20 goals and leading the league with 13 assists, consolidating his place as a top contender for the league’s premier honor. He triumphed over Colombia‘s Julián Quiñones and England‘s Ivan Toney, who ranked first and second in the top scorer race, respectively.
This was João Félix’s inaugural season in Saudi Arabia after joining from Chelsea for an initial fee of €30 million (approximately $34.6m) and signing a two-year deal.
“Playing football brings me joy; especially in my position,” the 26-year-old noted after the title win. “The coach instilled so much confidence in me, allowing me to lead the team and be one of its focal points. When that happens, everything tends to go well.”
Additionally, Al Nassr’s coach, Jorge Jesus, was recognized on Friday, receiving the award for coach of the season. Following the title win, the Portuguese coach confirmed his decision to step down from his role.
“This victory belongs to everyone, especially Cristiano, as he hadn’t yet won any title in Saudi Arabia,” Jesus remarked. “I accepted this challenge because I promised I would help him become champion: ‘let’s win the title, and then I’ll leave,’ which is precisely the case. For me, it’s over. This will be the last game I am involved with Al Nassr.”