Al Nassr vs Al Dariyah Prediction: After missing Al Nassr Saudi Pro League 2026-27 opener, Portuguese football legend Cristiano Ronaldo is set to miss the King’s Cup clash against the newly-promoted side Al Diriyah too on August 18, Tuesday. The 41-year-old was missing from the matchday squad and will now miss their second consecutive encounter.
As reported by the Saudi outlet Arriyadiyah (via World Soccer Talk), Al Nassr have decided to leave their captain out of the XI against Al Diriyah, given he is not match fit. The veteran footballer has reportedly took part only in a few training sessions since returning to the club after marrying his long-time partner Georgina Rodriguez. Their captain is arguably is their most important player, having netted 28 goals to help Al Nassr win their first major title since arriving at the club. The 41-year-old proceeded to ply his trade for Portugal in the FIFA World Cup 2026 but a 1-0 loss to Spain in the Round of 16 ended their campaign. After the 48-team tournament, Ronaldo embarked on a long vacation and missed the entire pre-season and returned to the club only last week.
Even without their star forward, Al Nassr made a tremendous start under new coach Ange Postecoglou with an impressive 3-0 victory over Al Fateh in the 2026-27 Saudi Pro League match. It’s worth noting that Saad Al-Nasser, Nawaf Al-Aqidi and Mohammed Maran have also been sidelined from the match due to fitness issues. Al Diriyah is a side that cannot be taken lightly and are coming off a 1-0 win over Al Ahli.
Al Nassr vs Al Diriyah, King’s Cup, Predicted Line-ups
Al Nassr predicted XI: Bento (GK); Boushal, Martinez, Simakan, Al Nasser; Coman, Khaibari, Gabriel, Mane; Feliz, Hamdan.
Al Diriyan predicted XI: Vasilj (GK); Faraj, Mbemba, Colley, Alawjami; Diandy, Gueye, Alqahtani, Koudou; Laborde, Rodriguez.
Where to watch Al Nassr vs Al Diriyah King’s Cup Match in India?
There is no TV telecast available for the match between Al Nassr and Al Diriyah but fans can catch the live streaming of the same on FanCode App and website. The match begins at 11:30 PM IST.
Al Nassr vs Al Diriyah, Kings Cup, Prediction
Despite the absence of Ronaldo, Al Nassr are a significantly better side than Al Diriyah and are firm favourites. Since it is a Kings Cup fixture, Al Nassr will take no side lightly but Postecoglou’s side should win.
Prediction: Al Nassr: 2 – 0 Al Diriyah
