Ronaldo and Al Dawsari Among Seven RSL Nominees for FIFA Best 2025
Cristiano Ronaldo and Salem Al Dawsari have been named among seven Roshn Saudi League players nominated for the FIFA Best 2025 awards. The announcement was made by world football’s governing body on Thursday.
Seven RSL Players Recognized
The list of nominees for The Best FIFA Men’s 11 features:
- Al Nassr’s captain Cristiano Ronaldo
- Al Hilal’s forward Salem Al Dawsari
- Al Qadsiah striker Mateo Retegui
- Goalkeepers Yassine Bono (Al Hilal) and Edouard Mendy (Al Ahli)
- Defender Kalidou Koulibaly (Al Hilal)
- Midfielder Ruben Neves (Al Hilal)
Retegui Reacts to His Nomination
The Italian forward, who joined Al Qadsiah from Atalanta last summer, shared his reaction following his team’s 4–0 win over Al Kholood on Thursday.
“I just found out and it's a nice recognition,” said Retegui. “I think it’s for all the effort and desire I've been putting in for a long time. I'm calm, always with my feet on the ground, humble — and I want to keep growing. Keep being like this: humble, training a lot, always learning, and improving.”
Retegui’s Recent Form
At 26, Retegui has been in outstanding form. Over the past 15 months, he has established himself as one of Europe’s top strikers, finishing last season as Serie A’s leading scorer with 25 goals in 36 matches, helping Atalanta secure third place before his move to Saudi Arabia.
Author’s summary: Seven Roshn Saudi League players, led by Ronaldo and Al Dawsari, earned nominations for FIFA Best 2025, highlighting the Saudi league’s rising international influence.