The three-year-long wait finally came to an end for Cristiano Ronaldo after Al-Nassr won the Saudi Pro League championship with an astounding victory against Damac FC on Thursday. The hosts secured a 4-1 win at Alawwal Park in Riyadh, where the Portuguese captain scored twice.
For the 41-year-old striker, the title-winning moment was a major sense of relief after spending more than three years with Al-Nassr since arriving in 2023, while the club narrowly missed out on the championship in recent seasons.
He was visibly emotional, breaking into tears before lifting the trophy, with his hands covering his tear-filled face in a moment of pure joy. Jorge Jesus substituted Cristiano Ronaldo in the closing stages of the match, and the Portuguese star could be seen in tears while sitting on the bench.
Ronaldo netted both of his goals in the second half, including a stunning free-kick, scoring first in the 62nd minute before adding another in the 80th. His brace moved him to 974 career goals as he continues his pursuit of the historic 1,000-goal milestone.
How high were the stakes for Al-Nassr on the final matchday?
Al-Nassr were leading 2-1 at the time, thanks to earlier goals from Sadio Mané and Kingsley Coman, but another goal from Damac could have seriously threatened their title hopes, as a draw would not have been enough.
The away team was battling to stay clear of the relegation zone, but the defeat ultimately confirmed their relegation.
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In the other game played simultaneously, Al-Hilal defeated Al-Fayha to finish the season with 84 points in second place. Had Al-Nassr settled for a draw, they would have ended level on points with Al-Hilal but lost the title on head-to-head record.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr overcame recent heartbreaks
Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr had endured heartbreak in their previous outing after losing the AFC Champions League Two final to Japanese side Gamba Osaka.
They also missed the chance to secure the league title earlier in their previous Saudi Pro League game against Al-Hilal, where they were leading until a costly defensive mix-up resulted in an own goal and a draw, pushing the title race to the final-day fixture.
This marked the eighth league title of Cristiano Ronaldo’s career across four different countries, having previously won championships with Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus.
The Portuguese superstar will now likely turn his attention toward what could be his final attempt at winning the FIFA World Cup with the Portugal national football team next month — the one major trophy still missing from his collection.
