Al-Nassr kept their cool on the final matchday of the Saudi Pro League and were crowned Saudi champions with a 4-1 victory over Damac Club. For Cristiano Ronaldo, it is his first club title since moving to Saudi Arabia.
The situation heading into the match was clear: If Al-Nassr beat bottom-of-the-table Damac on the final matchday, closest pursuer Al-Hilal (two points behind) could no longer take the Saudi Pro League title away from Cristiano Ronaldo’s team. Following the 4-1 victory that evening, in which the Portuguese star scored a brace, the outcome is now certain: For the first time since the 2018/2019 season, Al-Nassr has secured the Saudi championship.
Since his move to the Saudi Pro League, Cristiano Ronaldo has regularly made headlines, finishing as the league’s top scorer in the past two seasons with 35 (2023/24) and 25 goals (2024/25), and recently scoring his 100th league goal for Al-Nassr. The only title missing from CR7’s extensive trophy collection so far was a title with the Saudi club.
Before winning this year’s title, the Portuguese star finished as runner-up twice with Al-Nassr in 2022/23 and 2023/24; in the just-concluded 2024/25 season, the team finished third in the final standings. CR7 has also been eliminated early from the AFC Champions League every time since his arrival in Saudi Arabia in January 2023—up until now.
Most recently, there was a disappointment in the final
Last Saturday, Al-Nassr missed out on the AFC Champions League Two title after losing 0-1 to Gamba Osaka of Japan, which is coached by German manager Jens Wissing. Wissing had announced in a interview beforehand how he planned to trip up CR7’s team.
As in Europe, there are three European cup competitions in Asia, with the Champions League Two corresponding to the Europa League. The title in the Champions League Elite, the equivalent of the European Champions League, was recently secured by a team from Saudi Arabia: Under German goalkeeper coach Alexander Bade, Al-Nassr’s league rival Al-Ahli won the trophy for the second time in a row.
This summer, Cristiano Ronaldo will once again be on the hunt for a title. In what is likely to be his last World Cup, the 41-year-old is aiming for the big win with Portugal in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
