Cristiano Ronaldo (foto: Getty Images)
Cristiano Ronaldo is still without a major trophy at Al Nassr as the club’s title hopes fade again after three winless games, turning a four-point lead into a growing deficit behind Al Hilal.
Cristiano Ronaldo arrived in Saudi Arabia convinced that trophies with Al Nassr would come quickly. Instead, the reality is becoming increasingly painful.
The Portuguese superstar is still without an officially recognised trophy with the club, and the latest league results suggest that this season could end the same way. (The Arab Club Cup is not recognised as an official FIFA competition.)
Al Nassr have taken just one point from the last three matches: a 2-2 draw with Al Ettifaq, followed by defeats against Al Ahli (2-3) and Al Qadsiah (1-2).
This disastrous run has knocked them off the top of the table and seriously damaged their title ambitions.
The latest defeat, at home against Al Qadsiah — captained by former Real Madrid defender Nacho Fernández — was particularly symbolic.
The match turned in the second half after a clumsy pass by Al Nassr’s goalkeeper resulted in an own goal. Soon after, Nahitan Nández made it 0-2 after a deflection from a Retegui shot.
Al Nassr only pulled one back in the 82nd minute, when Ronaldo calmly converted a penalty after a handball by Thakri. Despite 11 minutes of added time, the equaliser never came.
From +4 to potentially -7 in two weeks
The collapse looks even worse in context. Just two weeks ago, Al Nassr were four points ahead of Al Hilal. Now they are four points behind their biggest rival.
If they lose again next week, the gap could grow to seven points — a dramatic 11-point swing in a very short period.
Despite everything, Ronaldo tried to stay positive after the match.
“This fight is not over yet. We keep working and together we will rise!” he wrote.
With that goal, he also reached another historic milestone: Ronaldo became the first player in football history to score in 25 different calendar years.
How close has Ronaldo actually been to a trophy in Saudi Arabia?
Ronaldo joined Al Nassr midway through the 2022/23 season. Since then, he has played two full seasons and two half-seasons with the club.
In the league, Al Nassr finished second twice with him, and third last season, which even meant missing out on the Asian Champions League.
During Ronaldo’s time in Saudi Arabia:
- Karim Benzema won the league with Al Ittihad
- Al Hilal have been champions twice
- Al Ahli won the Asian Champions League
Al Nassr, meanwhile, were never really close in that competition: eliminated in the quarter-finals in 2023/24 and in the semi-finals in 2024/25.
On top of that, Ronaldo has lost three cup finals with Al Nassr. Technically, he came closest to a trophy at the start of this season, when Al Nassr lost the Super Cup final to Al Ahli on penalties.
For now, the pattern remains the same: goals, records, headlines — but still no trophy.