The 14-Title Curse: Ronaldo’s trophy curse continues at Al-Nassr

Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo has entered a new season of frustration with Saudi club Al-Nassr, after the team fell in the second AFC Champions League final to Japan’s Gamba Osaka by one goal to nil. The match was held at Al-Awwal Park in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

Al-Nassr lost a fresh opportunity to embrace silverware, having failed to capitalize on fan support and the advantage of playing on home soil. This continues their faltering season, having now squandered a third title after losing the Saudi Super Cup and an early exit from the King’s Cup.

“Al-Aalami” (The Global One) had opened the 2025-2026 season by losing the Super Cup title to Al-Ahli Saudi on penalties after an exciting 2-2 draw, before exiting the King’s Cup in the Round of 16 following a 2-1 defeat to Al-Ittihad Saudi.

Since Ronaldo’s arrival in Saudi Arabia at the beginning of 2023, in one of the most prominent deals in the history of Asian football, the Portuguese national team captain has failed to lead Al-Nassr to any official title, despite the massive expectations that accompanied his joining the team.

Ronaldo’s bad trophy form

The number of trophies Ronaldo has lost with Al-Nassr has reached 14, distributed among the Saudi Pro League, King’s Cup, and Super Cup, in addition to continental failure in the AFC Champions League, both in its old and new formats, culminating in the loss of the second AFC Champions League this season.

Just days ago, Ronaldo was only seconds away from clinching his first Saudi Pro League title, before his team’s goalkeeper made a mistake, putting the ball into his own net in the 98th minute, delaying the title’s fate until the final round in a tough battle with Al-Hilal.

Frustration prevailed for the Portuguese star Ronaldo after failing to win any title, despite achieving goal-scoring success after surpassing the 970-goal barrier and racing against time to reach goal number 1000.

Despite the ongoing setbacks, Ronaldo still has one last chance to break the cycle of disappointment when Al-Nassr hosts Damac in the final round of the Saudi Roshn League.

A win is enough for Al-Nassr to officially secure the league title, regardless of the result of Al-Hilal Saudi’s match against Al-Fayha, in a match that could bring Ronaldo his first official title in the team’s jersey since moving to Saudi Arabian fields.

Featured image via Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images

By Alaa Shamali

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