Al Nassr set Lisbon camp friendlies as Postecoglou era begins

Al Nassr will launch the Ange Postecoglou era with a four‐match pre-season schedule in Lisbon as the Saudi champions step up preparations to defend their league title and return to Asia’s elite competition.

The Riyadh club travel to the Portuguese capital on Sunday for the third phase of their build-up to the 2026-27 campaign, having already held training blocks in Riyadh and Abha.

The external training camp in Lisbon will run until 5 August, Al Nassr confirmed in a post on X (formerly Twitter), where the club also revealed its full line-up of friendly fixtures.

Four friendlies in 13 days

Al Nassr will open their Portuguese schedule against Benfica’s B team on 22 July, in what is likely to be Postecoglou’s first chance to assess his squad in a full match setting since taking charge.

The Saudi Pro League side will then face Spanish outfit Merida on 28 July, offering another test against European opposition as fitness and tactical work intensify.

Their third warm-up game is scheduled for 1 August against Portuguese side Estrela Amadora, before the camp concludes with a clash against La Liga club Almeria on 4 August.

All four friendlies form part of a compact 13-day programme designed to give the Australian coach a close look at his players under match conditions ahead of a season in which expectations will be high on both domestic and continental fronts.

Postecoglou targets back‐to‐back titles

Postecoglou, recently appointed as Al Nassr’s head coach, takes over a side that last season ended a seven-year wait for the Saudi league title under former boss Jorge Jesus.

The club hierarchy will now expect the former Australia national-team coach to build on that success and make the team competitive on multiple fronts.

Al Nassr are “seeking to defend the Saudi league title” won with Jesus at the helm, having broken a long domestic drought, and the Lisbon camp is viewed internally as a crucial phase in embedding Postecoglou’s high-intensity style and tactical demands.

Return to Asia’s top tier

The new season will also mark Al Nassr’s return to the AFC Champions League Elite, Asia’s top club competition, after they were absent from it last term.

Instead, the club competed in the continent’s secondary tournament, where they advanced all the way to the final before losing to Japanese side Gamba Osaka.

The setback has sharpened focus on restoring Al Nassr to the top tier of Asian football, with the club determined to translate their domestic revival into a sustained continental challenge.

Postecoglou’s work in Portugal – facing a mix of Portuguese and Spanish opposition – is expected to shape the core of the side that will compete both for back‐to‐back Saudi titles and a deep run in the Champions League Elite.

With the Lisbon camp set, Al Nassr’s attention now turns to fine‐tuning a squad that will be under intense scrutiny at home and abroad when the new season begins.