Cristiano Ronaldo suffers double 2026 blow as Al-Nassr captain loses Saudi Pro League Player of the Month award after being overtaken in Golden Boot race

Despite scoring regularly and remaining a central figure in the team’s attack, Ronaldo faced an unexpected setback: he missed out on the Saudi Pro League Player of the Month award, while the Golden Boot race took an intriguing twist.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s January 2026 has been, by most attacking metrics, highly productive. The Al-Nassr captain has logged heavy minutes, consistently featured in the starting lineup, and played a visible leadership role as his club navigated a demanding Saudi Pro League schedule. Yet, despite scoring regularly and remaining a central figure in the team’s attack, Ronaldo faced an unexpected setback: he missed out on the Saudi Pro League Player of the Month award, while the Golden Boot race took an intriguing twist.

Across January, Ronaldo appeared almost every three to four days, playing seven matches and scoring four goals, often staying on the pitch for the full 90 minutes. Match ratings reflected his steady contributions, generally hovering in the high-6 to low-7 range, peaking at 7.2 in some fixtures. These numbers underscored his reliability but also highlighted the absence of game-changing, headline-grabbing performances that often sway award voters.

He contributed directly to several goals and constantly occupied defenders, creating space for his teammates. However, it appears that he was not overwhelmingly decisive in the way voters tend to remember when awards are decided. For a league increasingly valuing both efficiency and game-defining moments, consistency alone was no longer enough to secure top individual honors.

What’s more, Al-Nassr’s performance in January was mixed. The month began with a run of defeats, which undermined the narrative of dominance and hurt the Portuguese’s candidacy for Player of the Month. Although the team recovered with important wins later, early losses weighed heavily in the eyes of voters. In the Saudi Pro League, individual recognition is often intertwined with team success, meaning that even stellar personal contributions can be overshadowed by inconsistent collective results.

Who won the SPL Player of the Month award?

While Ronaldo demonstrated consistency, another player produced moments impossible to ignore. Ivan Toney, leading the line for Al-Ahli, turned January into a statement month. The English forward scored 12 goals in seven matches, including two hat-tricks, helping his team climb the Saudi Pro League standings and edging past Ronaldo in the Golden Boot race.

Toney started the year with a brace against Al-Nassr, then scored doubles against Al-Taawoun, goals against Al-Okhdood and Al-Kholood, and finished the month with two hat-tricks against Al-Khaleej and Al-Ettifaq. “I feel like I’m doing well right now and that continuing to score goals [here in Saudi] will give me a stronger chance to get to what could be my only World Cup,” Toney said, highlighting his ambition to remain in contention for England’s squad.

Toney’s performances also earned him five ALJ Man of the Match awards in January, solidifying his claim as the Saudi League Player of the Month, the first Englishman to receive the honor and the first Al-Ahli player to win it since April 2025. His 18-goal total now puts him ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Qadsiah’s Julian Quinones (both at 17).

Still elite, still relevant

Missing out on the award does not diminish Ronaldo’s elite status. At 41, he remains one of the most reliable forwards in the Saudi Pro League, capable of playing full matches and maintaining standards that younger strikers often struggle to match. January 2026 reflected Ronaldo’s current phase: excellence without excess, leadership without individual accolades.

Meanwhile, Toney’s rise signals the intense competition at the top of the scoring charts. He has attracted attention from European clubs, including Juventus, but remains focused on maintaining form in Saudi Arabia to secure a spot in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad.