Ivan Toney and Al Ahli reportedly face backlash over claims of referees’ indirect bias towards Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr

Ivan Toney and Al Ahli reportedly face backlash over claims that referees indirectly lent a hand to Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr have been drawn into a fresh controversy sparked by Al Ahli‘s most recent match, which was marred by a series of disputed refereeing decisions. Following the statements and accusations made in the aftermath, Ivan Toney and the Saudi club have reportedly faced pushback over their claims.

The 2025-26 Saudi Pro League added yet another officiating controversy to its list after the match between Al Ahli and Al Fayha. Several uncalled penalties and questionable decisions prompted Al Ahli to release a formal statement expressing their “deep dissatisfaction with the refereeing errors that affected today’s match.”

One of the most direct voices in the fallout was Ivan Toney, who leveled a pointed accusation at fourth official Abdulrahman Al-Sultan. “The referee told us after the match… ‘Focus on the Asian Champions League. How does a referee say something like that? His head is somewhere else. I hope it was recorded and gets released,” Toney told Saudi network Thmanyah after the game, sentiments that were echoed by head coach Matthias Jaissle.

However, according to Saudi outlet Al-Arriyadiyah, no evidence has been found to support the accusations against Al-Sultan. The Main Referees Committee of the Saudi Football Federation reviewed the full audio recordings from the Al Ahli vs. Al Fayha match and found nothing to corroborate the claims made by Toney and Jaissle.

The committee launched its review following Al Ahli’s formal request for “access to the recordings and communications between the referees and the VAR, as well as their interactions with the team’s players during the match.” Despite a thorough examination of the available material, the investigation turned up no evidence supporting the allegations.

Controversy keeps growing around Al Nassr

The 1-1 draw against Al Fayha prevented Al Ahli from closing the gap on league leaders Al Nassr, leaving them third in the Saudi Pro League standings with 66 points, four behind the top. When asked after the game which team benefited from the disputed decisions, Toney did not hesitate, saying it was “the team we’re chasing,” a clear reference to Cristiano Ronaldo’s side.

Brazilian forward Galeno was equally blunt in his assessment, writing on X that “they want to give the trophy to one specific person,” widely interpreted as a direct dig at Ronaldo. In the meantime, with a game still in hand, Al Nassr will look to extend their lead at the summit of the table when they travel to face Al Akhdoud on Saturday.