Portuguese player Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of Al-Nassr Club, has emerged as one of the leading contenders in the final race for the Best Player in the Middle East Award for 2025, which is presented annually by the Globe Soccer Awards Foundation.

Ronaldo was included in the preliminary list, which featured seven prominent players from the region, before the public voting phase closed and the four names advancing to the final stage were determined.

The Al-Nassr captain maintained his position in the final list, continuing the competition alongside three stars: Algerian Riyad Mahrez of Al-Ahli Jeddah, French Karim Benzema, striker for Al-Ittihad, and Salem Al-Dawsari, captain of Al-Hilal.

Three players who were contenders in the first stage fell out of the final competition list: French midfielder N'Golo Kanté of Al-Ittihad, English striker Ivan Toney of Al-Ahli Saudi, and Brazilian star Roberto Firmino of Al-Sadd Qatar.

The data points to a fierce race among the four qualified teams, given their strong presence this season and their impact in the competitions they have participated in with their clubs both in Saudi Arabia and abroad.

The Best Player in the Middle East award is scheduled to be announced during the annual Globe Soccer Awards ceremony, which will be held in Dubai on December 28, amid great anticipation from Arab football fans.