Ronaldo Suffers Heartbreak as Al Nassr Lose AFC Final

Cristiano Ronaldo suffered a bitter setback for the second time in a week after his Saudi club, Al Nassr, were stunned 1-0 at home by Japan’s Gamba Osaka in the AFC Champions League Two final on Saturday.

The defeat extends the 41 year old forward’s wait for his first piece of major silverware since making his lucrative move to the Saudi side in 2023. Playing in front of 26,000 fans at the King Saud University Stadium, Al Nassr entered the match as heavy favourites to become the first Saudi Arabian team to win the second tier Asian continental crown.

Despite Al Nassr’s dominance and a relentless second half barrage, it was Gamba Osaka who found the breakthrough. Against the run of play, forward Deniz Hummet latched onto a through ball from Issam Jebali and buried his finish from the edge of the box in the 29th minute to secure the only goal of the game.

Al Nassr head coach Jorge Jesus acknowledged his team’s early struggles. “We had prepared well but they were very fast and they surprised us,” he said. “For the first 30 minutes, we were not at our best but after that, we dominated. They only had one opportunity and they scored from it.”

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The continental final defeat compounds a frustrating week for Ronaldo and his teammates. Just days earlier, Al Nassr were seconds away from securing their first Saudi Pro League title of the campaign. However, a bizarre injury time own goal by goalkeeper Bento handed second placed Al Hilal a 1-1 draw, delaying Al Nassr’s domestic coronation.

Following the draw against Al Hilal, Ronaldo had taken to X to rally his 107.5 million followers, writing, “The dream is close. Heads up, we have one more step to take! Thank you all for the amazing support tonight!”

Despite the recent setbacks, Al Nassr still control their domestic destiny. They sit two points ahead of Al Hilal with just one game remaining and can seal the Saudi Pro League title when they host Damac on Thursday. Al Hilal will play their final match away to Al Fayha on the same night.

“We didn’t get what we wanted here but there is one more final for us, the Saudi Pro League title, which is very important to us,” Jesus added. “We have five days to recover and prepare and there is no time for grieving. We have to get going again.”