Saudi League Postpones Three Matches, Including Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr Clash, After Houthi Attacks
RIYADH: The Saudi Pro League postponed three Matchweek 9 fixtures on Wednesday, including a headline clash involving Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, as the kingdom’s escalating conflict with Yemen’s Houthis begins to disrupt the football calendar.
The league said the fixtures were pushed back for “logistical considerations, taking into account the mandatory minimum rest period between matches”, in a statement published on the SPL website on Tuesday.
League leaders Al-Hilal’s meeting with Al-Riyadh and the Riyadh derby between Al-Ittihad and Al-Shabab have both been moved to December 19. The standout tie of the round, Al-Ahli against Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, has been rescheduled for March 6, 2027, a delay of nearly five months.
The SPL stressed that the remaining Matchweek 9 fixtures “will be played according to the previously announced schedule with no changes”.
Saudi Pro League postponed fixtures amid missile threat
The disruption is a direct consequence of the fighting. On Monday, Al-Nassr’s AFC Champions League match against Uzbek side Neftchi Fergana in Riyadh was delayed by an hour after the Saudi-led coalition announced it had intercepted a missile fired by the Houthis towards the Saudi capital.
The latest round of fighting was triggered by Houthi strikes on Riyadh’s international airport at the weekend that left 13 people dead and forced operations to be suspended, the worst attack on the kingdom since 2015.
The Houthis have since vowed further strikes on Saudi airports and oil facilities, claiming they hit the headquarters of oil giant Saudi Aramco. Riyadh says its defences intercepted a ballistic missile aimed at the capital on Wednesday, as Feature Pakistan reported.
Football feels the conflict
The postponements underline how quickly the conflict is spilling beyond the battlefield. The Saudi Pro League has spent heavily in recent years to become one of world football’s most watched competitions, with global stars like Ronaldo headlining its clubs.
Moving Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr fixture to March 2027 is a significant call. The five-month delay suggests league officials expect the security situation to take time to settle, or at minimum want maximum distance between match scheduling and the current escalation.
The AFC Champions League delay on Monday showed the problem is not limited to domestic football. Continental fixtures involving Saudi clubs, which draw travelling fans from across Asia, face the same airspace and security calculations.
Pakistan has condemned the Houthi attacks, with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar calling them “totally unacceptable”, as reported here.
For now, Saudi football carries on around the disruption. But with the Houthis promising more attacks and the coalition promising more interceptions, further fixture chaos cannot be ruled out.
Frequently asked questions
Which Saudi league matches were postponed?
Al-Hilal vs Al-Riyadh and Al-Ittihad vs Al-Shabab move to December 19, while Al-Ahli vs Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr is rescheduled for March 6, 2027.
Why were the matches postponed?
The SPL cited logistical considerations and mandatory rest periods, but the decision follows Houthi missile attacks on Riyadh, including a strike that delayed Al-Nassr’s AFC Champions League game by an hour.
Will other matches go ahead?
Yes. The league said all other Matchweek 9 fixtures will be played on their previously announced dates.
*Source: The Express Tribune, October 14, 2026.*
