Is Cristiano Ronaldo playing? Al-Hazm vs Al-Nassr: match time, where to watch, and projected lineups
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr has kicked off the season in dominant fashion in the Saudi Pro League and will look to extend its winning streak this Saturday, October 25, when they visit Al-Hazm for Matchday 6 of the Saudi top flight.
In their latest outing, Jorge Jesus’ side defeated India’s Goa 2-1 in the AFC Champions League group stage, where they currently lead their group with a perfect record.
That match, played last Wednesday, did not feature Ronaldo, who stayed behind to recover physically and mentally after representing Portugal in the UEFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers.
Head coach Jorge Jesus explained the decision to rest his star, making it clear that the 39-year-old will return to the starting lineup against Al-Hazm:
“Everyone loves Cristiano Ronaldo, and he has so many fans. We decided to rest him whenever we play outside Saudi Arabia.
Everyone wants to see him and meet him, but we preferred to leave him in Riyadh to prepare for the next match,” said the former Flamengo boss.
Al-Hazm vs Al-Nassr: Kick-off time, TV and live streaming options
The Al-Hazm vs Al-Nassr match, corresponding to Matchday 6 of the Saudi Pro League, will take place at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium in Buraidah.
Depending on your location, you can follow it live through the following channels:
- United States (2 p.m. ET): Fox Deportes (TV), Amazon Prime and FuboTV (online)
- Mexico (12 p.m.): Caliente TV (streaming)
- Spain (8 p.m.): Movistar+ (online)
Expected lineups: Will Cristiano Ronaldo start?
Al-Hazm: Bruno Varela; Ahmed Al-Nakhli, Sultan Tanker, Abdulrahman Al-Dakheel, Al-Harbi; Loreintz Rosier, Fabio Martins, Nawaf Al Habashi, Basil Al-Sayyali, Elias Mokwana; Omar Al Soma.
Al-Nassr: Bento; Nawaf Boushal, Mohamed Simakan, Iñigo Martínez, Ahmed Al-Ahmed; Kingsley Coman, Marcelo Brozović, Abdullah Al Khaibari, Sadio Mané; João Félix, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Study claims Cristiano Ronaldo had a greater impact at Real Madrid than Messi at Barcelona
Cristiano Ronaldo’s influence in terms of productivity and efficiency was greater than that of Lionel Messi during their respective years at Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, according to a recent academic study.
Conducted by researchers from the Universities of Extremadura and Complutense de Madrid, the study applied innovative economic methodologies typically used to measure efficiency in schools, hospitals, and municipalities.
The analysis reviewed all players from both clubs over the past 70 years (1955–2024), coinciding with the era of European competitions where both teams have been mainstays.
According to the study, Real Madrid players generally rank higher in productivity in goalkeeping and midfield positions, while defenders show near-equal performance. Barcelona, however, leads slightly in attacking positions.
Most notably, the report concludes that Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence would cause a much sharper drop in Real Madrid’s overall productivity compared to the hypothetical removal of Messi from Barcelona’s attack.
While other stars such as Raúl, Karim Benzema, or Luis Suárez also posted exceptional records, “none had as decisive an influence on their club’s collective productivity as Cristiano and Leo,” the study noted.
