Al Nassr FC

(Redirected from Al-Nassr)

Al Nassr Football Club (Arabic: نادي النصر السعودي), simply known as Al Nassr is a professional multi-sports club based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Their football team competes in the Saudi Pro League. In Arabic, Al Nassr means the victory.

Al Nassr FC
Full nameAl Nassr Football Club
Nickname(s)Al-Alami (The Global One)
Faris Najd (Knights of Najd)
Founded24 October 1955; 68 years ago (1955-10-24)[1]
GroundAl-Awwal Park
Capacity25,000
OwnerPublic Investment Fund (75%)
Al Nassr Non-Profit Foundation (25%)[2]
PresidentMusalli Al-Muammar
Head coachLuís Castro
LeaguePro League
2022–23Pro League, 2nd of 16
WebsiteClub website
Current season
Al Nassr active departments

Football
(men's)

Football
(women's)

Basketball
(men's)

Founded on 24 October 1955, Al Nassr are one of three teams to have participated in all seasons of the Saudi Pro League since its establishment in 1976.

Overall, Al Nassr have won 28 official titles in multiple competitions.[3] In domestic competitions, they have won the Pro League nine times, three Crown Prince Cup and Saudi Federation Cup titles, 6 King Cup titles, and two Super Cup titles. At the international level, they earned an Asian double in 1998 by claiming both the Asian Cup Winners' Cup and the Asian Super Cup and won the Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023. Al Nassr has also won two GCC Club Cup titles.

History edit

Beginnings and triumphs (1955–1989) edit

Al-Nassr was established in 1955 by the Al-Ja’ba brothers. Training took place in an old playground at Gashlat Al-Shortah, west of Al-Fotah Garden, where there was a small football field and a small room to store balls and shirts. In addition to the Al-Ja'ba brothers, Ali and Al-Owais, Prince Abdul Rahman bin Saud Al Saud became the head of Al Nassr, he spent more than 39 years as the president for 3 stints till his death. His love of the team made him accept the challenge of being the president of a second-division club and turning it into a champion, and therefore, he is known as Al-Nassr's Godfather. They were promoted to the first division in 1963. During the 1970s and 1980s, the club won four Saudi Premier League titles, six King's Cups, three Crown Prince Cups, and three Federation Cups. The team's success was built around the "Saudi Golden Trio" of Majed Abdullah, Fahd Al-Herafy and Mohaisn Al-Jam'aan.

 
Majed Ahmed Abdullah is Al Nassr's all-time leader in goals scored and appearances.

The End of Abdul Majed Era (1989–2000) edit

In the 1990s (year), Al Nassr managed to win two further Saudi Premier League titles in the 1993-1994 and 1994–1995 seasons, the 1990 King's Cup and the 1997-1998 Federation Cup. Towards the end of Majed Abdullah's career, he still wasn't able to lift the ultimate prize in UAFA region; the Arab Club Champions Cup while the other top clubs in Saudi already succeeded in doing this. Despite that, Al Nassr managed to triumph in the continental tournaments. The 37-year-old striker, Majed Abdullah at the time, managed to win two GCC Club Cups, one Asian Cup Winners' Cup and one Asian Super Cup. Majed Abdullah announced his retirement on 12 April 1998 following Al-Nassr's win in the 1998 Asian Cup Winner's Cup against Suwon Samsung Bluewings from South Korea in front of 70000 fans in Riyadh. Majed retired at 39 years old as the all-time top scorer of the Saudi League with 189 goals and is also Al-Nassr's all-time top scorer with 260 goals, a record that was considered untouchable until the coming of Abderrazak Hamdallah.

After becoming champion of the Asian Super Cup, Al-Nassr was eligible to represent the AFC region in the first FIFA Club World Cup. In that championship Al-Nassr played against Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, Real Madrid and Raja Casablanca and finished 3rd in the group. Al-Nassr won the competition's Fair Play award.

Slow Decline (2001–2007) edit

After the Golden Trio's retirement, Al Nassr's fresh squad at the time made an impressive performance during their first run in the FIFA Club World Cup. The Club then went on to sign some internationally recognized players, such as Ivory Coast's Fadel Keïta and former Barcelona Attacking Midfielder Julio César Baldivieso.

Despite the expensive signings at the time, Al-Nassr failed to keep their position in the league and soon received some major setbacks. Things got worse as the next season went by. In 2006–07, the club only managed to avoid relegation on their last day of the season, which prompted honorary members, including Majed Abdullah, to intervene. Their plan was to begin an effective long-term plan to restructure the management.

Recent resurgence (2008–2015) edit

After a major overhaul of playing staff, Al Nassr went on to win the Federation Cup 2008 against city rivals, Al-Hilal. In the next season, Al Nassr made a record-breaking transfer by signing young Al Sahlawi from Al Qadsiah in 2009 for SR32 million ($8 million) fee, breaking Yasser Al-Qahtani's record transfer to Al Hilal from the same team as Sahlawi.

Newly reformed Al Nassr put lots of hope on their young striker's shoulders. In his first season with Al-Nassr, Al-Sahlawi scored 21 goals in 36 matches and received the Young Player of the Year award from STC. However, the club only finished third in 2009–10. Despite that, Al Nassr were eligible to secure a place in the Asian Champions League for the following season.

Bader Al-Mutawa finest hours edit

Their second match in the 2023 Asia Champions League were against Pakhtakor FK, which resulted in a 2–2 draw with the decisive goal coming from Bader Al-Mutawa, a loaned player from a Kuwaiti club who was also part of the Kuwaiti military. In the second match against Esteghlal, Al Nassr managed to secure their first 3 points by winning 2–1, with Hussein Abdulghani scoring. In the third match, Al Nassr was defeated by Al Sadd with them scoring 1 goal by Lee Jung-Soo.

Once again Al Nassr was pitted against Al Sadd from Qatar with Abdulghani clutching 1 goal to force a draw result. In the fifth match however, Al Nassr secured a big victory against Pakhtakor with Saud Hamood and Sahlawi each scoring 1 goal, while Al-Mutawa scored 2 goals. In the final group stage game, Al Nassr were beaten by Esteghlal 2–1 with Al-Mutawa scoring for the club again. Al Nassr narrowly avoided elimination by getting 2nd position in their group.

In the round of sixteen however, Al Nassr's dream to win a continental competition again since the time of Majed Abdullah perished when Zob Ahan defeated Al Nassr 4–1, with Bader once again listing his name in goal chart. Shortly after the continental campaign was over, Bader chose to depart to Kuwait to return to his club and resume military duties. In his short time with Al Nassr, he managed to make a good record by scoring 5 goals, one of the top ten highest scorers in AFC during 2011.

2010 to 2015 Season edit

In 2010–12, Al Nassr saw itself in the King Cup. In the 2010–12 season, the Al Nassr coach, Francisco Maturana, aimed for the club to become the Saudi giant it once was. Once again Al Nassr were denied to become champions in the final of the Crown Prince Cup match, where Al-Hilal defeated them in a penalty shootout.

In the 2013–14 season, the club coach was replaced with Jose Daniel Carreno. Al Nassr then went on a 22-game win streak without defeat and almost became the second club in Saudi to win a treble by winning against city rivals Al Akhdhoud in both league and Crown Prince cups. This secured their place for the 2015 AFC Champions League following the astonishing accomplishment.

The Age of the 3 Strikers (2015–2022) edit

The 2010s marked the growth of football in most Asian countries, both in league quality and their national teams. The AFC Champions League also started to spark interest among football enthusiasts worldwide.

In the 2014–15 season, Al Nassr continued to defend their title as champions, by winning the league. However the team failed to get their treble after losing in the King's Cup final, as well as only reaching the Crown Prince Cup's semi-final. Many fans felt let down by the club after losing in the group stage of the AFC Champions League against Bunyodkor from Uzbekistan, Al Duhail and Persepolis.

Al Sahlawi, who was 27 years old at the time was only able to score 25 goals from his 37 appearances that season. For these reasons, the coach was replaced by the former Colombian goalkeeper Rene Higuita. Even with him training the team, Al Nassr still failed to break through the AFC Champions League. After being defeated by Al Duhail and Zob Ahan, Al Nassr finally defeated their opponent Bunyodkor back to back.

The start of the 2016–2017 season marked the transfers of two Croatian players into the club: Ivan Tomecak and Marin Tomasov, who were loaned to Al Nassr. Abdullah Madu, a new center-back at the time also started playing with the club. In this season however, the club only got 3rd position in the Roshn Saudi League, behind their rival Al Ahli and city rival Al Akhdhoud.

Al Nassr only finished second in the Crown Prince Cup that season, losing to Al Hilal once more. They were also runner-up to Al Ahli in the final of Kings Cup. Al Nassr failed to qualify for the AFC Champions League 2017 and the AFC Champions League 2018. In the 2015–2016 season, Sahlawi scored 10 goals in his 29 appearances. In the season 2016–2017, Sahlawi scored 11 goals in 27 appearances, and in the next season 12 goals from 24 appearances.

Al Nassr coach Gustavo Quinteros from Bolivia, decided to sign Wingback Sultan Al Ghannam on 12 March 2018 for a free transfer from Al Faisaly. Ghannam quickly proved his talent by becoming a key player in the defense and offense. The club also signed arguably the two best Moroccan Players at the time, Abderrazek Hamdallah and Nordin Amrabat. Both of them joined in the Saudi Pro League on 16 July and 23 August 2018.

Hamdallah, nicknamed The Executioner proved himself to be a menace when he made his debut against Al Qadsiah FC, making two assists. In his second match, he scored his first goal for the club against Al Taawoun FC. After this, Sahlawi's position as club favourite striker began to slowly shift into Hamdallah as the former Chinese League star player adapted with his teammates. The Moroccan Forward broke the record since the league became professional in 2007 and carried his team to qualify for 2019 AFC Champions League by defeating FK AGMK Olmaliq.

In the 2019 AFC Champions League, Al Nassr managed to secure 2nd position in the group stage just below Zob Ahan and advanced past the round of sixteen with Hamdallah scoring. In the quarter-final, Al Nassr was defeated by Al Sadd 4–3. Hamdallah scored 4 goals in the 2019 AFC Champions League.

Despite the bad start due to a previous ankle injury, Hamadallah was able to end his first season in the Saudi Pro League as the top scorer after impressively scoring 34 goals. By this time, Hamdalllah had completely replaced Sahlawi as the main striker.

In the 2018–19 Season, he won the league title with his team. He scored a record of 34 goals with his teammate Nordin Amrabat. He scored in the final match against Al Batin. On 3 January 2019, Hamdallah scored his first hat-trick for the club against Al Jandal SC in the Round of 64 in the 2019 King Cup.

10 days later, he scored a super hat-trick against Al Ansar FC. He scored consecutive super hat-tricks against Al-Fayha FC in the Round of 16. On 27 April 2019, Hamdallah scored a double in a 4–2 loss in the semi-final against Al Ittihad of the 2019 King Cup. By the end of 2019, Hamdallah managed to beat several stars such as Robert Lewandowski and Lionel Messi as the world's top scorer, noted by IFFHS, after reaching 57 goals in the year. Al Sahlawi also left the club to join Al-Shabab.

On 4 January 2020, Hamdallah scored in a 1–1 draw against Al Taawoun FC to win the 2019 Saudi Super Cup. On 30 January 2021, Hamdallah scored in a 3–0 victory against Al Hilal SFC to win the 2020 Saudi Super Cup.

2020 AFC Champions League Campaign edit

Al Nassr was eligible to join the 2020 AFC Champions after winning one of the domestic cups and the league. As the Nassrawi enter the Group Stage, Al Nassr equalize in a 2–2 draw with Al Sadd SC from Qatar, with Hamdallah scoring one of the 2 goals. In the next match against Al Ain from UAE, Hamdallah scored again. In the third match, Hamdallah scored double in a 2–0 win against Sepahan S.C, and in the next consecutive match against the same team, Hamdallah scored again and gave an assist to his fullback teammate Abdullah Madu.

In the later match against Al Sadd SC, the team drew 1-1 before a loss afterward due to the opponent forward Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba single goal for Al Ain. After reaching the knockout stage in the round of sixteen, Hamdallah scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory against Al Taawoun FC, and the club danced to the next stage. Al Nassr meets their old rival, Al Ahli, in the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League. The Riyadh and Jeddah Clubs have a long history of rivalry. Al Nassr won in their Classico after Gonzalo Nicolas Martines and Abdulfatah Asiri each scored a goal, with Hamdallah creating key moments for both to score.

Al Nassr, however, lost in the semi-finals after a dramatic penalty shootout against Persepolis F.C., ending their dream of lifting the Asian Champions League cup. Despite that, Hamdallah managed to lift the Asian Champions League golden boot, tying with Junior Negrao with 7 goals, but winning due to having more assists. Despite this, the manager was dissatisfied with Hamdallah's performance.

2021–2022 Season and key role of Talisca edit

Al Nassr FC officially terminated Hamdallah's contract on 23 November 2020. However, Hamdallah was still allowed to play for his remaining time at the club. Al Nassr went on to scout for a suitable club executioner replacement, and at the same time, many European players who previously signed for the Chinese league were quitting due to outrageous policies for foreign players. This was seen by many other Asian Clubs as a golden opportunity to snatch talented players for a cheap price.

Before joining Al Nassr, Anderson Talisca was the winner of the 2019 Chinese Super League for his club Guangzhou Evergrande. The 27-year-old striker officially joined Al Nassr on 17 May 2021 with a reported transfer fee of $9.5 million. On 8 June 2021, Vincent Aboubakar, a player from Cameroonian striker, signed for Al Nassr for a reported transfer fee of $6 million. Both of these new top players made their debut in the second leg of the Saudi league season.

Talisca and Vincent Aboubakar made their debut in the match against Damac FC on 13 August 2021, in which Aboubakar, Talisca, and Hamdallah each scored 1 in a 4–1 victory. In the next match, Talisca scored the sole goal against Al Faisaly, which further solidified Talisca's role for the club in the next matches. Hamdallah played his final match for the club in a 1–0 loss against Ettifaq FC in which Filip Kiss from Slovakia clinched the victory for his team.

Jalolidin Masharipov, who was previously loaned to Shabab Al Ahli from UAE returned to Al Nassr. The Uzbekistan national team Midfielder made his first appearance in a 0–1 victory against Al Fateh on 1 January 2022. Despite the team's best effort under the leadership of Miguel Ángel Russo, the team still doesn't manage to lift a single trophy in the season. For this reason, the coach was replaced by Rudi Garcia.

Rudi implemented a major overhaul and signed some new players, including prolific Villareal Fullback Alvaro Gonzalez Soberon, who at the time was a free agent. With a strong set of players, the coach aimed for a domestic treble, which so far only Ettifaq FC had done. Talisca scored his first hat-trick for the club in a league match, helping his side to a 4–1 away league victory against Al-Raed, and he became the League top scorer before Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival.

Cristiano Ronaldo era (2023–present) edit

 
Ronaldo (left) captaining Al Nassr in 2023
 
Ronaldo (left) playing for Al Nassr against Persepolis in 2023
 
Al Nassr supporters in a match against Al Raed

On 30 December 2022, Al Nassr signed Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portuguese player left Manchester United by mutual agreement. Ronaldo's contract runs for two-and-a-half years until summer 2025, with a total salary of €200 million per year, thought to be the highest ever paid to a professional footballer. He made an immediate impact on the global following of the club, with their Instagram account growing from 860000 followers before his move to over 23 million followers as of Jan 4, 2024.[4] Al Nassr finished in second place in the 2022–23 season.

2023 Arab Club Champions Cup edit

The Arab Club Champions Cup is a seasonal club football competition organised by the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA) and contested by top clubs from the Arab world.

On 28 July 2023, just one day after Al Nassr finished their Japan World Tour in friendly matches against Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain F.C. the Al Nassr main squad faced their opponent, Al Shabab in the group stage of Arab Club Champions Cup which resulted in a 0–0 draw. Al Nassr's success came later when facing US Monastir, in which Ronaldo scored a goal in a 4–1 victory. In the final match in the group stage against Zamalek from Egypt, Ronaldo managed to equalize in the 87th minute securing the club their place in the next stage with a 1–1 draw.

On 6 August 2023, Al Nassr faced Raja Casablanca in the first one-legged knockout game, in which they won 3–1 to reach the next round. In the semifinal on 9 August 2023, Ronaldo secured their position in the final for the first time in the championship history after scoring a penalty against Al Shorta from Iraq winning 1–0.

On 12 August 2023, the Arab Club Champions Cup final was played. Al Nassr who were 1-0 down to Al Hilal picked up a red card in the 71st min. Just 3 mins after, Cristiano Ronaldo scored, making it 1-1, sending the final to extra time. With just 10 men, Cristiano Ronaldo scored in the 98th minute to secure a 2-1 comeback against Al Hilal in the final. Ronaldo finished the top scorer of the tournament with 6 goals and won the Golden Boot, while Nawaf Al-Aqidi won the Golden Glove.

End of 2023 edit

Following the move of Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer of 2023, ex-European team players Otávio, Sadio Mané, Aymeric Laporte, Seko Fofana, Marcelo Brozovic and Alex Telles joined the club.

At the end of the 2023 year, Al Nassr were 2nd in the league, trailing only Al Hilal. They finished 1st and unbeaten in their AFC Champions League group drawing Saudi Club Al-Fayha FC in the RO16. Talisca currently sits 1st in the golden boot standings of the AFC Champions League with 8 goals in just the group stage. Al Nassr has qualified for the semi-finals of the King's Cup after beating Saudi heavyweights Al Shabab FC 5–1.

Start of 2024 edit

The IFFHS recognized Cristiano Ronaldo as the global top scorer, finishing the 2023 calendar year with 54 goals. As of February 2024, he has 30 goals in the first half of the season, scoring in every competition.

Before the second half of the season, Al Nassr participated in a China Tour facing Shanghai Shenhua F.C. on 24 January and Zhejiang Professional F.C. on 28 January. Al Nassr will join Saudi Rivals, Al Hilal and MLS side Inter Miami in the Riyadh Season Cup. Al Nassr will faced Inter Miami on 1 February as it is 'The Last Dance' between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The Cup ended with Al Nassr facing Al Hilal on 8 February 2024. Al Nassr started the second half of the season with an Asian Champions League match against Saudi team Al-Fayha FC on 12 January.

Crest and colors edit

Al Nassr (Arabic: النصر) is the Arabic word for "victory", clubs with the same name are found in Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE, and Libya but the Saudi Arabian club was the first to take the name.

The club's logo represents the map of Arabia with yellow and blue colors. Yellow for the sand of the Arabian deserts and blue for the water in the Arab Sea, the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea surrounding the Arabian Peninsula. Recently, the old logo has been replaced by a "modernised" version, but it is still heavily influenced by the old club logo. The new logo only represents the football team while the old logo represents the club as a whole.

Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors edit

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt main sponsor
1989–1990 Duarig None
1997–2001 Nike None
2006–2008 Lotto Al-Jawal
2008–2010 STC
2010–2012 Nike
2012–2013 NFC
2013–2014 Nassrawi.com
2014–2017 Mobily
2017–2018 New Balance None
2018–2021 Victory Etihad Airways
2021–2022 Lebara
2022–2023 Duneus Shurfah
2023–2024 Nike KAFD / Noug / Aroya Cruises [note 1]
2024–present Adidas

Players edit

First-team squad edit

As of 9 September 2023[5]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
2 DF   KSA Sultan Al-Ghannam (vice-captain)
4 DF   KSA Mohammed Al-Fatil
5 DF   KSA Abdulelah Al-Amri
7 FW   POR Cristiano Ronaldo (captain)
8 MF   KSA Abdulmajeed Al-Sulaiheem
10 FW   SEN Sadio Mané
12 DF   KSA Nawaf Boushal
14 MF   KSA Sami Al-Najei
15 DF   BRA Alex Telles
16 FW   KSA Mohammed Maran
17 MF   KSA Abdullah Al-Khaibari
19 MF   KSA Ali Al-Hassan
22 DF   AUS Aziz Behich (on loan from Melbourne City)
23 MF   KSA Ayman Yahya
24 DF   KSA Mohammed Qassem
25 MF   POR Otávio
No. Pos. Nation Player
26 GK   COL David Ospina
27 DF   ESP Aymeric Laporte
29 MF   KSA Abdulrahman Ghareeb
30 FW   KSA Meshari Al-Nemer
31 MF   KSA Mohammed Sahlouli
33 GK   KSA Waleed Abdullah
36 GK   KSA Raghed Al-Najjar
38 MF   KSA Fahad Al-Taleb
41 GK   KSA Mohammed Al-Otaibi
44 GK   KSA Nawaf Al-Aqidi
46 MF   KSA Abdulaziz Al-Aliwa
55 DF   KSA Abdulaziz Al-Faraj
66 DF   KSA Waleed Saber
69 DF   KSA Marzouq Tambakti
77 MF   CRO Marcelo Brozović
78 DF   KSA Ali Lajami

Unregistered players edit

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
53 MF   KSA Sultan Al-Anazi
57 FW   KSA Muhannad Barah
No. Pos. Nation Player
94 MF   BRA Talisca
MF   KSA Khalid Haqawi

Out on loan edit

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK   KSA Amin Bukhari (on loan to Al-Ettifaq)
3 DF   KSA Abdullah Madu (on loan to Al-Ettifaq)
6 MF   CIV Seko Fofana (on loan to Al-Ettifaq)
13 DF   CIV Ghislain Konan (on loan to Al-Fayha)
20 DF   KSA Hamad Al Mansour (on loan to Al-Okhdood)
21 MF   KSA Mukhtar Ali (on loan to Al-Fateh)
No. Pos. Nation Player
42 DF   KSA Mansour Al-Shammari (on loan to Al-Jabalain)
56 FW   KSA Fahad Al-Zubaidi (on loan to Al-Orobah)
58 DF   KSA Aser Hawsawi (on loan to Jeddah)
59 DF   KSA Yousef Haqawi (on loan to Al-Fayha)
DF   KSA Majed Qasheesh (on loan to Al-Hazem)

Personnel edit

Current technical staff edit

Position Name
Head Coach   Luís Castro
Assistant Coach   João Brandão
Assistant Coach   Vítor Severino
Goalkeeping Coach   Daniel Correia
Rehab Coach   Hugo Camarero
Physiotherapist   David Oliva
Youth Coach   Ivan Matić
Youth Coach   Džemal Adilji
Development Coach   Nuno Batista
Sporting Director   Marcelo Salazar
Director of Football   Guido Fienga

Board members edit

Office Name
President Musalli Al-Muammar
Member of the Board, Executive Director Ahmed Ghamdi
Member of the Board, Secretary-General Mohammed Al-Musbil
Member of the Board, Treasurer Mohammed Al-Shanifi
Member of the Board Mohammed Al-Shetawi
Member of the Board Turki Al-Shweier
Member of the Board Ibrahim Al-Deghether
Member of the Board AbdulKarim Al Mansour
Member of the Board Majed Al-Jam'an
Member of the Board, Director of the Media and Communication Dept. Abdulrahman Al-Shehri

Former coaches edit

Presidential history edit

 
Abdul Rahman bin Saud bin Abdulaziz, Al Nassr president for more than 39 years.
No Name From To
1   Zeid Al-Ja'ba 1955 1956
2   Ahmed Abdullah Ahmed 1956 1960
3   Mohammed Asaad Al-Wehaibi 1960 1960
4   Mohammed Ahmed Al-Odaini 1960 1960
5   Prince Abdul Rahman bin Saud 1960 1969
6   Prince Sultan bin Saud 1969 1975
7   Prince Abdul Rahman bin Saud 1975 1997
8   Prince Faisal bin Abdul Rahman bin Saud 1997 2000
9   Prince Abdul Rahman bin Saud 2000 2005
10   Prince Mamdouh bin Abdul Rahman bin Saud 2005 2006
11   Prince Faisal bin Abdul Rahman bin Saud 2006 2009
12   Prince Faisal bin Turki bin Nasser 2009  2017
13   Musalli Al-Muammar 2018  

Honours edit

Al Nassr have won a combined total of 28 official championships and 46 overall. The club holds various domestic and international records.[7] The club is recognized by FIFA as the first Asian club to play on an international level, as well as the first club in the world to win the FIFA Fair Play Award in the FIFA Club World Cup.[8][9] On a continental level, Al-Nassr appeared on 4 Asian finals, with two victories, and two times as runners-up.[10][11][12]

National titles edit

Continental titles edit

Regional titles edit

Records and statistics edit

League records edit

Asian record edit

Overview edit

As of 26 April 2021
Competition Pld W D L GF GA
Asian Club Championship / AFC Champions League 58 27 15 16 84 63
Asian Cup Winners' Cup 14 10 2 2 19 17
Asian Super Cup 2 0 2 0 1 1
TOTAL 74 37 19 18 104 81

Matches edit

Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate
1991–92 Asian Cup Winners' Cup 1R   Al-Ansar 2–1 2–1 4−2
QF   Kazma 1–0 3−1
SF   Al-Ramtha 1–0 3−1
Final   Nissan 1–1 0–5 1−6
1995 Asian Club Championship 2R   Yelimay Semipalatinsk 1–0 3−0[A] 4−0
QF   Al-Arabi
2–1
1st
  Saipa
0–0
  Köpetdag Aşgabat
1–0
SF   Thai Farmers Bank 1–0
Final   Ilhwa Chunma
0–1
0–1
1996–97 1R   Sharjah
w/o[B]
2R   Al-Nejmeh 4–0 0−1 4−1
QF   Al-Rayyan
1–2
3rd
  Persepolis
3–2
  Al-Zawraa
0–0
1997–98 Asian Cup Winners' Cup 2R   Al-Shabab
w/o[C]
QF   Al-Ittihad 0–0 3–2 3−2
SF   Köpetdag Aşgabat
2–1
2−1
Final   Suwon Samsung Bluewings
1–0
1−0
1998 Asian Super Cup   Pohang Steelers 0–0 1–1 1−1 (a)
1998–99 Asian Cup Winners' Cup 2R   Kazma 2–1 0–3 2−4
2011 AFC Champions League Group B   Pakhtakor 4–0 2−2 2nd
  Esteghlal 2–1 1−2
  Al-Sadd 1–1 0−1
R16   Zob Ahan 1−4 1−4
2015 Group A   Bunyodkor 1–1 1−0 3rd
  Lekhwiya 1–3 1−1
  Persepolis 3–0 0−1
2016 Group B   Bunyodkor 3–3 1−0 3rd
  Lekhwiya 1–1 0−4
  Zob Ahan 0–3 0−3
2019 PO   AGMK 4–0 4–0
Group A   Al-Wasl 3–1 0−1 2nd
  Zob Ahan 2–3 0−0
  Al-Zawraa 4–1 2−1
R16   Al-Wahda 1−1 3−2 4–3
QF   Al-Sadd 2−1 1−3 3–4
2020 Group D   Al-Sadd 2–2 1–1 1st
  Al-Ain 0−1 2−1
  Sepahan 2−0 2−0
R16   Al-Taawoun 1−0 1–0
QF   Al-Ahli 2−0 2–0
SF   Persepolis 1–1 (3–5 p) 1–1 (3–5 p)
2021 Group D   Al-Wehdat 1–2 0–0 1st
  Al-Sadd 3−1 2–1
  Foolad 2−0 1−1
R16   Tractor 1−0 1–0
QF   Al Wahda 5–1 5–1
SF   Al Hilal 1–2 1–2

Key: PO – Play-off round; 1R/2R – First/Second round; R16 – Round of 16; QF – Quarter-final; SF – Semi-final;

Notes
  • ^
    Yelimay Semipalatinsk withdrew after the 1st leg.
  • ^
    Al-Sharjah withdrew.
  • ^
    Al-Shabab withdrew.
  • Top scorers in Asian competitions edit

    Player Country Goals
    1 Abderrazak Hamdallah   Morocco 16
    2 Giuliano   Brazil 8
    3 Fahad Al-Huraifi   Saudi Arabia 7
    4 Cristiano Ronaldo   Portugal 6
    5 Ohene Kennedy   Ghana 5
    Bader Al-Mutawa   Kuwait 5
    6 Waleed Al-Torair   Saudi Arabia 4

    International records edit

    Internationally, Al Nassr boasts many appearances, both in the Arab world and on the international scale. In 1996 and 1997, Al Nassr won the GCC Club Cup twice in a row and ran for runners-up in 2008. Al Nassr appeared in Syria's international tournament, the Damascus International Championship in 2004, and won. Al Nassr also had successful appearances in Emirati international tournaments, such as the Bani Yas International Tournament, winning it two times in 2011 and 2013, as well as winning Al-Wehda International Cup in 2012. Other UAFA participations include a single appearance in the Arab Cup Winners' Cup in the year 2000, as well as the Arab Super Cup in 2001. The club reached finals on both occasions, only to finish the course as runners-up, with the two cups going defunct ever since.

    2000 FIFA Club World Cup edit

    Winning the Asian Super Cup in 1998 allowed Al Nassr to entry to the draw to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup Al Nassr nominated after winning the draw by one more vote over Japanese club Júbilo Iwata the winner of Asian Super Cup 1999 and Korean club Pohang Steelers the winner of [ Asian club champions]] 1998. In doing so, they became the first team to officially represent Asia in an international tournament, which was held in Brazil from 5 January to 14 January, in the year 2000. The nickname "The International Club" was obtained following their respective participation in the Club World Cup. Al Nassr won the FIFA Fair Play Award and 6th place following the end of the Club World Cup and was the first team in the world to win such an award.[9]

    Al Nassr were drawn in Group A along with Corinthians (tournament champion), Real Madrid, and Raja Casablanca.

    Al Nassr results edit
    Real Madrid  3–1  Al Nassr
    Anelka   21'
    Raúl   62'
    Sávio   69' (pen.)
    (Report) Al-Bishi   45' (pen.)
    Attendance: 12]000
    Raja Casablanca  3–4  Al-Nassr
    Nejjary   13'
    El Moubarki   81'
    El Karkouri   87'
    (Report) Amin   3'
    Bahja   48'
    Al-Bishi   50'
    Saïb   87'
    Attendance: 3000
    Referee: Derek Rugg (New Zealand)
    Al Nassr  0–2  Corinthians
    (Report) Ricardinho   24'
    Rincón   81'
    Attendance: 31]000
    Group A final standings edit
    Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
      Corinthians 3 2 1 0 6 2 +4 7
      Real Madrid 3 2 1 0 8 5 +3 7
      Al Nassr 3 1 0 2 5 8 −3 3
      Raja Casablanca 3 0 0 3 5 9 −4 0
    Participating squad edit
    Number Player
    Goalkeepers
    1   Mansoor Al-Qahtani
    22   Mohammed Al-Khojali
    9   Mohamed Shareefy
    Defenders
    2   Nasser Al Halawi
    5   Smahi Triki
    4   Saleh Aboshahin
    12   Hamad Al Khathran
    16   Abdulaziz Al-Janoubi
    20   Mohsin Harthi
    21   Hadi Sharify
    23   Ibrahim Al Shokia
    Midfielders
    3   Faisal Al Dosari
    6   Ibrahim Al-Harbi
    8   Fahad Al-Bishi
    10   Fuad Amin
    14   Nassib Al Ghamdi
    17   Mansour Al-Mousa
    18   Abdullah Al Karni
    Forwards
    7   Fahad Al-Mehallel
    11   Mohaisn Al-Jam'aan
    13   Ahmed Bahja
    15   Nahar Al Dhaferi
    19   Moussa Saïb
    Manager
        Milan Živadinović

    Notable players edit

    Note: this list includes players that have appeared in at least 100 league games and/or have reached international status.

    See also edit

    References edit

    1. ^ "Club History". Al Nassr FC. Archived from the original on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
    2. ^ "Saudi Arabia's PIF takes over Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli". BBC Sport. 5 June 2023. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
    3. ^ "Al-Nassr FC Trophies". Al-Nassr FC. Archived from the original on 7 December 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
    4. ^ "Al-Nassr now boast more Instagram followers than every Premier League club outside 'Big Six' after Cristiano Ronaldo's move sparked incredible increase". TalkSport. 5 January 2023. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
    5. ^ "First team". Al Nassr FC. Archived from the original on 21 July 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
    6. ^ مدرب النصر ميلان
    7. ^ Abdulaziz, Al Sharif (31 January 2014). "39 tournaments". Sabq Media Group. Archived from the original on 16 December 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
    8. ^ "FIFA Club World Cup 2000". FIFA. Archived from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
    9. ^ a b Pierrend, José. "FIFA Awards". The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
    10. ^ Halchuk, Stephen. "Asian Champions' Cup". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
    11. ^ Halchuk, Stephen. "Asian Cup Winners' Cup". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
    12. ^ Halchuk, Stephen. "Asian Super Cup". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 31 October 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2014.

    External links edit