Al Nassr played two closed-door friendly matches in Portugal on 3/8, allowing coach Jorge Jesus to experiment with tactics without other teams scouting them. He fielded a team full of stars including Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, and new signing Joao Felix.
Estrela da Amadora finished 16th out of 18 teams in the Portuguese championship last season, narrowly avoiding relegation. However, the home team secured a surprising 1-0 victory, while Ronaldo, Mane, and Felix were all kept scoreless.
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Ronaldo during Al Nassr's loss to Amadora in Portugal on 3/8/2025. Photo: Nassr Zone |
Ronaldo during Al Nassr's loss to Amadora in Portugal on 3/8/2025. Photo: Nassr Zone
Before the match, Ronaldo received a commemorative gift from Amadora. Afterward, the home team players took photos with the 40-year-old superstar. As it was only a friendly, Al Nassr's defeat is not overly significant. Moreover, Amadora began training several weeks before Al Nassr regrouped for the new season.
In their second friendly of the day, Al Nassr defeated Portuguese second-division team Leiria 2-1. It is unclear whether Ronaldo played in this match.
Al Nassr's loss still attracted attention because Ronaldo has often touted the Saudi Pro League as the fifth-strongest league in the world, behind the English Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, and the Bundesliga. He has implied that the Saudi league is superior to the Portuguese league.
On the evening of 7/8, Al Nassr will play another friendly against Portuguese club Rio Ave. Three days later, they will have a training match with Spanish second-division club Almeria.
Al Nassr is actively reshaping its squad after signing Felix. They targeted midfielder Bruno Fernandes from Manchester United (Man Utd), but he declined. Coach Jorge Jesus is also preparing to part ways with midfielder Otavio, who may move to another club in Saudi Arabia.
Al Nassr will compete in four tournaments in the 2025-2026 season: the Saudi League, the Kings Cup, the AFC Champions League, and the Saudi Super Cup. Their first match will be against Ittihad in the Saudi Super Cup semi-final on 19/8 in Hong Kong.
Hoang An (Goal)
