Is Neymar playing against Cristiano Ronaldo in Al Nassr vs Al Hilal?

Although Al Nassr’s ranks boast Cristiano Ronaldo, the top scorer in the history of men’s football, it is Al Hilal who are firmly established as the top club in the Saudi game. Throughout the Portugal captain’s time in the Saudi Pro League – a competition he joined in a 2022 deal that has paved the way for other big football stars to leave Europe for the Middle Eastern kingdom – Al Hilal have been an almost unstoppable domestic force.

Heading into matchday nine of the 2024/25 Saudi Pro League season, Al Hilal lead the table with eight wins from eight, with 10-goal striker Aleksandar Mitrovic topping the scoring charts – ahead of not only Ronaldo but Al Ittihad’s. Karim Benzema. And as further good news for Jorge Jesus’ team, they have now welcomed Neymar back from injuryfollowing the former Barcelona and PSG striker’s recovery from an ACL tear 12 months ago.

Al Hilal face Al Nassr in the heavyweight clash of the Saudi Pro League

In one of the most attractive clashes in the Saudi game, Al Hilal confronted with Al Nassr on Friday, in a matchup that will play a decisive role in deciding the outcome of the league title. What’s more, Ronaldo goes into the game bidding to bounce back from his midweek penalty miss in a King’s Cup clash with Al Tawawoun. The 39-year-old’s spot-kick error in the 96th minute of the round of 16 sealed a 1-0 defeat to Al Nassr.

As Al Hilal prepare to do battle with Ronaldo and Co. in Riyadh, is the question on many football lovers’ lips: having returned to fitness and even been able to feature as a second-half substitute in his side’s AFC Champions League match with Al Ain on 21 October Will Neymar go head-to-head with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner? The answer, unfortunately for fans of Al Hilal and their star player, is no.

Given the severity of Neymar’s injury, Al Hilal did not sign the 32-year-old up for Saudi Pro League action before the season began in August. In the domestic top flight, he will not be eligible to play for the 19-time Saudi champions until January when the registration window reopens.

Al Nassr vs Al Hilal: kick-off, how to watch

The 2024/25 Saudi Pro League matchday nine match between Al Nassr and Al Hilal will take place at Al Awal Park at King Saud University on Friday 1 November 2024, with kick-off scheduled for 2:00 PM ET/11:00 AM PT. Viewers in the US will be able to watch the clash on Fox Soccer Plus, Fox Deportes and DAZN USA.

If you don’t have cable, you can stream Fox’s coverage live on the online platform fubowhich offers new users a free introductory trial.

While Al Hilal are top of the league, Al Nassr is third – six points off the leaders – after five wins and three draws.