Al Nassr could boast a team featuring some of the finest players on the planet next season – if Cristiano Ronaldo’s team gets their way this summer

Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah, alongside several other high-profile names, could link up with Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr next season. The Saudi Pro League side haven’t claimed the domestic championship since 2019 and have been forced to watch the recent supremacy of Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad.

It now seems they’re pulling out all the stops to claim the trophy next season. Al Nassr already possess a squad brimming with quality including the likes of Croatian World Cup finalist and Serie A winner Marcelo Brozovic as well as multiple Bundesliga-winning French international Kingsley Coman.

Former Liverpool winger Sadio Mane, a Premier League and Champions League victor, also features alongside Ronaldo. Meanwhile the once most expensive player on the planet, and former Chelsea forward, Joao Felix, plus Inigo Martinez, who secured La Liga with Barcelona in 2025, are just some other figures who comprise their squad.

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Nevertheless, they could be poised to elevate their super team to unprecedented levels. MEN takes a closer look at the five stars who could join Al Nassr this summer.

Mo Salah

Salah shocked the football world when he revealed his desire to depart Liverpool in March after nine years. The Egyptian sits third on the club’s all-time top scorers list and has secured two Premier League titles and the Champions League at Anfield.

Multiple offers have reportedly surfaced to acquire his services, including one from Al Nassr. The club, owned by The Public Investment Fund (PIF), is understood to have expressed interest in partnering him with Ronaldo to form a formidable attacking partnership, positioning him as the league’s latest marquee arrival.

Nevertheless, several other Saudi clubs are similarly tracking the striker’s circumstances closely, including Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli, and Al-Qadsiah. Questions have also been posed regarding precisely how Salah would integrate into the team at Al Nassr.

Bernardo Silva

According to Saudi publication Al-Yaum, Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal are locked in competition to sign the Manchester City star on a free transfer. The Portuguese playmaker arrived at City in 2017 and has featured 451 times, claiming six Premier League titles and the Champions League under Pep Guardiola.

Following City’s confirmation of his departure at season’s end, the 31-year-old is believed to be coveted by Ronaldo at Al Nassr. Silva has been representing Portugal alongside Ronaldo at international level since March 2015.

The attacking midfielder has additionally been connected with transfers to Barcelona or Juventus, alongside clubs in the MLS. However, his associations with the Saudi Pro League run considerably deep, as in 2023, Al Hilal were believed to be assembling a package valued at £75million per season to secure the player from City.

Casemiro

Manchester United announced last month that Casemiro will depart the club when his contract expires in June. The midfielder became strongly linked with a switch to Saudi Arabia in 2023 as he dropped down the pecking order under former United manager Erik ten Hag.

Ronaldo, who played alongside Casemiro at Real Madrid, has reportedly advocated for the transfer. Inter Miami, co-owned by United legend David Beckham, are also eager to sign Casemiro.

Brazilian heavyweights Sao Paulo are also understood to be prepared to offer the player a two-year contract with an option to work for the club following his retirement.

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Nevertheless, according to Marca, Ronaldo sees Casemiro as the defensive linchpin required to ensure Al-Nassr’s supremacy in the Saudi Pro League. The financial proposal being assembled in Riyadh is anticipated to rival almost any other offer Casemiro receives.

Antonio Rudiger

The German centre-back is entering the final months of his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu and is poised to become a free agent in the summer of 2026.

Rudiger moved to Real Madrid from Chelsea in 2022. The La Liga and Champions League victor is believed to be sought after by Al-Nassr.

However, some reports suggest that remaining with Los Blancos is a “priority” for the centre-back. The Spanish giants have reportedly tabled a one-year extension for the defender, which could complicate any move.

Diogo Costa

Al Nassr are reportedly in the hunt for a new goalkeeper after losing faith in their current options, Brazilian shot-stopper Bento and Raghed Al-Najjar, who is sidelined through injury.

The 26-year-old Costa, who has claimed two Primeira Liga titles with Porto, would represent a significant acquisition for Al Nassr, with the likes of United and City both credited with an interest in recent months.

While Ronaldo and his teammates are said to be fronting the pursuit of the goalkeeper, Costa penned a contract extension with Porto until June 2030 in December 2025, meaning any interested party would need to splash out a substantial fee to lure him away from his current club.

Speaking to O Jogo, Costa also suggested he would like to bring the curtain down on his career in Portugal. He said: “I would truly be the most fulfilled man in the world, because, as everyone knows, my dream has always been to play here. And now the story continues and I hope there will be more games.”

While the club’s prospective squad looks like something conjured up by a Football Manager fan with a cheat code, the reality is somewhat less glamorous for the Saudi Arabian outfit.

As of the 2024/25 season, SPL clubs are permitted to register a maximum of 10 non-Saudi players. However, while 10 can be registered, only eight non-Saudi players are permitted to feature in the matchday squad for domestic fixtures.

This means that should Al Nassr genuinely wish to assemble a superteam, compromises will inevitably need to be made, with several of their potential new recruits facing an anxious wait for regular game time.

An envoy for President Donald Trump has reportedly asked FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in the 2026 World Cup this summer.

The Financial Times reported the plan is an effort to repair the relationship between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which soured after the former’s comments against Pope Leo XIV regarding the war with Iran.

United States special envoy Paolo Zampolli suggested the idea to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

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President Donald Trump receives the FIFA Peace Prize from FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 5, 2025. (Emilee Chinn/FIFA)

“I confirm I have suggested to Trump and Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup. I’m an Italian native, and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri at a U.S.-hosted tournament,” Zampolli told the outlet. “With four titles, they have the pedigree to justify inclusion.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Fox News Digital.

Italy had a chance to be in the World Cup already, but it lost in a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a qualifying playoff final.

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Italy became the first World Cup-winning team to miss three consecutive tournaments after the 4-1 penalty shootout loss earlier this month.

“We still don’t believe it that we’re out and that it happened in this manner,” Italy’s Leonardo Spinazzola told reporters at the time, according to the New York Post. 

“It’s upsetting for everyone. For us, for our families and for all the kids who have never seen Italy at a World Cup.”

While Zampolli told Infantino about his proposed plan, FIFA’s president said Iran “for sure” will play in the World Cup despite the conflict involving the U.S.

Mehdi Taremi of Iran celebrates after scoring a goal during a 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Group A game against Uzbekistan at Azadi Stadium in Tehran March 25, 2025. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu)

“The Iranian team is coming, for sure,” Infantino said during the CNBC Invest in America Forum earlier this month in Washington, D.C.

“We hope that, by then, of course, the situation will be a peaceful situation. That would definitely help. But Iran has to come, of course. They represent their people. They have qualified. The players want to play.”

Infantino visited the Iranian national team in Turkey, which is where it has its training camp.

All three of Iran’s group stage games are scheduled to be played in the U.S. That remains the case after Iranian government officials suggested to FIFA that their games be moved to Mexico because they could not travel to the U.S.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum revealed FIFA’s rejection of Iran’s request, and it is insisting Iran play where it’s scheduled — SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and Lumen Field in Seattle. Iran said earlier this month it would only decide on its team’s participation once it heard from FIFA regarding its relocation request.

Iran is scheduled to play at SoFi Stadium against New Zealand June 16 to begin its tournament. It will also play Belgium at the stadium before finishing group play against Mo Salah and Egypt in Seattle June 26.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino attends an international friendly between Mexico and Portugal at Banorte Stadium in Mexico City March 28, 2026. (Antonio Torres/FIFA/Getty Images)

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Trump wrote in a Truth Social post last month that Iran would be welcome to compete in the World Cup as scheduled, though it might not be “appropriate” considering the conflict.

“The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety,” he wrote.

Trump also told Politico, “I really don’t care,” when asked about Iran’s participation in the tournament. Infantino, who has a strong relationship with Trump, said Trump has “reiterated” to him that the U.S. welcomes Iran’s team to compete.

Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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New photos of New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and NFL insider Dianna Russini have been leaked online amid their alleged affair scandal. After Page Six shared exclusive snippets of them spending time together at a luxury private resort in Sedona last month, fresh photos from that time have raised more questions about this situation.

In the new photos shared, we see Vrabel and Russini having breakfast together. According to the article, several eyewitnesses claimed that they dined alone, but sources close to the insider claimed that a group of friends joined them.

On X, NFL analyst Tony Farmer shared his thoughts on these new leaks of Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini.

“That’s Vrabel! Same shirt as the prior published photos. Not a girls trip. Not “laughable” to suggest it’s not innocent. This is breakfast guys, that means the sleepover is confirmed,” Farmer wrote.

After receiving extensive backlash for the scandal, Dianna Russini decided to resign from her position at The Athletic earlier this month. In her resignation letter, she stated that she’s doing so to avoid it hampering the career that she’s built and denied the affair allegations.

“I have decided to step down aside now- before my current contract expires on June 30,” Russini wrote. “I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to let it further oxygen or let it define me or my career.”

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Mike Vrabel dodges a question about Dianna Russini’s resignation

After days of silence, Mike Vrabel finally addressed the affair allegations with Dianna Russini during a press conference on Tuesday. He was asked to share his thoughts on the insider’s resignation from The Athletic.

However, the Patriots coach decided to dodge answering this question.

“I appreciate and respect every single question,” Vrabel said. “But I’m not going to be able to comment on anything as it relates to that. I appreciate your job and what you guys have got to do, but I have to make my comments and what I answer about our football team.”

The NFL has also come forward to state that it will not review and investigate the Vrabel and Russini situation.