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Cristiano Ronaldo’s pursuit of silverware in Saudi Arabia has suffered another painful setback after Al Nassr lost 1-0 to Gamba Osaka in the AFC Champions League Two final on Saturday.
The match, played before more than 26,000 supporters at the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh, denied Ronaldo his first major trophy since joining the Saudi club in 2023 on a lucrative deal.
Al Nassr had entered the match as favourites and were hoping to become the first Saudi side to lift the AFC Champions League Two title, Asia’s equivalent of Europe’s Europa League.
Despite dominating possession for long stretches, the Saudi club were punished by a clinical counterattack from Gamba Osaka midway through the first half. Tunisian forward Issam Jebali slipped a precise through ball into the path of Deniz Hummet, who fired past the goalkeeper from the edge of the area in the 29th minute.
Al Nassr pushed aggressively for an equaliser after the break, with Ronaldo heavily involved in the attack, but the Japanese side defended resolutely to protect their lead until the final whistle.
Speaking after the match, Al Nassr coach Jorge Jesus admitted his side were caught off guard early in the game.
“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.”
The loss compounds a frustrating week for Ronaldo and Al Nassr. Just days earlier, the club missed a major opportunity to win the Saudi Pro League title after goalkeeper Bento conceded a dramatic injury-time own goal in a 1-1 draw against Al Hilal.
Following that result, Ronaldo urged the club’s fans and followers to remain optimistic.
“The dream is close. Heads up, we have one more step to take,” he said to his followers on X.
Al Nassr still remain in contention for the Saudi Pro League crown, sitting two points ahead of Al Hilal with one game remaining. They host Damac FC in their final league match, while Al Hilal travel to face Al Fayha on the same night.
Jesus insisted his team must quickly refocus despite the disappointment.
“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,” the Portuguese coach said.
“We have five days to recover and prepare and there is no time for grieving. We have to get going again.”
