Cristiano Ronaldo was left in tears after something he never expected happened in the Al Nassr game.
Cristiano Ronaldo was left feeling heartbroken and unsure whether to laugh or cry after Al Nassr came so close to winning their first Saudi Pro League title since 2019.
Before Tuesday night’s game against second-placed Al Hilal, a win would have given Al Nassr a seven-point lead with just one game left. Early on, Mohamed Simakan scored for the home team, giving them the lead. Al Nassr controlled much of the game, and it seemed like they were on their way to an early championship.
But in a dramatic twist, a last-second own-goal by goalkeeper Bento, just 10 seconds before the final whistle, stopped Al Nassr from wrapping up the title early. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, leaving Al Nassr five points ahead of Al Hilal, who still have a game to play.
After the match, a visibly upset Ronaldo was seen in tears on the bench, showing just how much the moment meant to him. However, he stayed hopeful on social media, saying, “The dream is close. Heads up, we have one more step to take! Thank you all for the amazing support tonight.”
Al Nassr still holds the upper hand, needing just one more win against Damac in their final game to secure Ronaldo’s first league title in Saudi Arabia.
Earlier this year, Ronaldo made headlines for refusing to play as a way to protest the club’s lack of new signings during the winter transfer window. He was reportedly unhappy that Karim Benzema was allowed to leave Al Ittihad for Al Hilal. But Ronaldo later reassured fans that he wants to stay with Al Nassr.
“I’m very happy,” he told Saudi broadcaster Thmanyah. “As I say so many times, I belong to Saudi Arabia. It’s a country that has welcomed me, my family, and my friends very well. I’m happy here, and I want to continue here. What matters most is that we keep pushing for the league title. We’re at the top, we do our job, we win, and we keep the pressure on. Let’s see what happens at the end of the season.”