Said Benrahma's Leadership in Saudi Football

Said Benrahma has stepped straight into Cristiano Ronaldo territory – and straight into the middle of a growing debate in Saudi football.

Neom’s Algerian star delivered a decisive performance in a 2-1 win over Al-Diriyah in the twelfth round of the Roshn League at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh on Friday, scoring the opener from the penalty spot and driving his side forward all night.

When the final whistle went, the script felt familiar. Benrahma was named man of the match, the cameras closed in, the trophy was ready.

He didn’t keep it.

Instead, he waved over Alexandre Lacazette, the French forward and former Arsenal striker whose goal had ultimately killed off Al-Diriyah’s resistance. Benrahma insisted on sharing the award, effectively handing the spotlight to his strike partner.

If that scene rings a bell, it should. Ronaldo did almost exactly the same thing a week earlier.

After Al-Nassr’s 3-1 win over Al-Faisaly in the eleventh round, the Portuguese captain was named man of the match but passed the trophy to team-mate Abdullah Al-Hamdan, a public nod to the Saudi forward’s impact and a clear attempt to boost his confidence.

Ronaldo’s gesture quickly went viral. Now others are following.

Benrahma’s decision to echo that move underlines how rapidly the culture around individual awards is shifting in the Roshn League. What once served as a simple post-match ritual has become a stage for statements about leadership, dressing-room unity, and star power.

Not everyone is impressed.

Sami Al-Jaber, one of Saudi Arabia’s greatest football figures, has already voiced his discomfort with the trend. After Ronaldo’s original act, Al-Jaber criticised the repetition of such gestures, dismissing it as a “fashion” that needs to be confronted before it turns into an empty performance rather than a genuine sign of respect.

That tension hung in the background as Benrahma and Lacazette held the trophy together. On one side, a team-first image: the creator of the opener recognising the finisher of the winner. On the other, a growing concern that these moments risk becoming choreographed, expected rather than earned.

What is not in doubt is Benrahma’s influence on the pitch. His cool penalty set Neom on their way, his creativity pinned Al-Diriyah back, and his decision to share the award reinforced his status as a leader in a squad packed with big personalities.

The Roshn League wanted stars. It has them now – and with them, a new question: where does genuine humility end and simple trend-following begin?