The title that eluded them for years

Yesterday, Al-Nassr beat Damac 4-1 to win the Saudi Pro League title for the first time in eight years.

And, of course, Cristiano Ronaldo was at the heart of the victory.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner joined the Riyadh club in a historic transfer in early 2023 and, in just three seasons, has already equalled Mohammed Al-Sahlawi as Al-Nassr’s all-time leading goalscorer – an even more impressive feat considering it took the Saudi player 10 seasons to reach the same milestone.

Despite helping the club win the Arab Club Cup shortly after his arrival, Ronaldo had yet to lead Al-Nassr to the domestic title. In 2023 and 2024, the team finished as runners-up, before slipping to third place last year.

The scare against Al-Hilal

For a moment, it looked as though this season would follow the same script.

Their main rivals, Al-Hilal, went into the mid-month derby unbeaten, but a win in that fixture would have all but secured the title for Al-Nassr.

In a cruel twist, goalkeeper Bento was unable to prevent Al-Hilal’s goal in the dying moments of the match, and the game ended in a 1-1 draw.

The celebrations were put on hold.

Among the club’s supporters and fans of CR7, fears grew that Al-Hilal would take the lead in the final stretch of the season.

In the end, however, the draw turned out to be nothing more than a scare.

The 4-1 victory over Damac confirmed Al-Nassr’s title with 86 points. Al-Hilal finished just behind, on 84.

Decisive right to the end

Two of Al-Nassr’s four goals yesterday were scored by – you know who – Ronaldo.

For the first, Ronaldo scored directly from a free-kick. A curling, powerful strike from outside the box on the left side of the pitch, the ball deflected through a crowd of players before nestling in the far corner of the net.

It was the 65th free-kick goal of the Portuguese player’s career.

Ronaldo’s second – and Al-Nassr’s last of the match – came after he received a pass from Nawaf Boushal on the right and fired home powerfully from inside the box.

With these goals, Ronaldo ends the season with 28 goals in 30 league matches – the league’s third-highest scorer, behind only Al-Qadsiah’s Júlian Quiñones, with 33, and Al-Ahli’s Ivan Toney, with 32.

In total, the Portuguese forward has now scored 123 goals in 142 appearances for the Saudi club.

In his career, he has reached 973 goals and is getting ever closer to the historic 1,000-goal mark.

Other names linked to the Ballon d'Or also played a part in the victory.

Ronaldo’s international teammate, João Félix – a nominee for the Kopa Trophy and the Ballon d’Or in 2019 – took the corner that led to Al-Nassr’s first goal. The cross found Sadio Mané, who headed it into the net. The Senegalese forward was nominated for the Ballon d'Or in 2017, 2019 and 2022, as well as winning the Sócrates Award in 2022.

CR7’s legacy in Saudi Arabia

After the match, Portuguese manager Jorge Jesus confirmed he would be stepping down from the team and revealed that one of his main motivations for taking on the role was to help Ronaldo win the title he was still missing in Saudi Arabia: “This victory belongs to everyone, but especially to Cris, who hadn’t yet won a Saudi league title. I only accepted this challenge because I told him: ‘I’ll help you become champion, we’ll win this title and then I’ll leave’. And that’s exactly what happened.” (Canal GOAT)

Jesus also highlighted Ronaldo’s impact on the league’s growth: “Cris has taken Al-Nassr to a whole new level, not just within Saudi Arabia, but beyond it too.” (Canal GOAT)

And that is no exaggeration.

Since Ronaldo’s arrival in the country at the end of 2022, several major names in football have followed suit, including Neymar – a nine-time Ballon d’Or nominee – and Karim Benzema, winner of the award in 2022.

The final stretch

After the final whistle, Ronaldo appeared emotional at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh, with tears in his eyes.

At 41, he knows that the final stretch of his career is drawing ever closer.

That is why he tries to savour every achievement whilst he is still on the pitch.

As he said recently: “You have to enjoy every day, game by game, year by year. I’m approaching the end of my career, that’s a fact. But the career I’ve had and continue to have has been brilliant. The most important thing is to keep going, because I’m still enjoying it and I’m still scoring goals.” (GOAT Channel)

Now, Cristiano Ronaldo can add yet another trophy to a collection that seems to have no end.

Titles won by Cristiano Ronaldo at club level throughout his career

Sporting CP (Portugal)

  • 1x Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup (2002)

Manchester United (England)

  • 3x Premier League (2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09)

  • 1x FA Cup (2003-04)

  • 2x English League Cup (2005-06, 2008-09)

  • 1x FA Community Shield (2007)

  • 1x UEFA Champions League (2007-08)

  • 1x FIFA Club World Cup (2008)

Real Madrid (Spain)

  • 2x La Liga (2011-12, 2016-17)

  • 2x Copa del Rey (2010-11, 2013-14)

  • 2x Spanish Super Cup (2012, 2017)

  • 4x UEFA Champions League (2013-14, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18)

  • 2x UEFA Super Cup (2014, 2017)

  • 3x FIFA Club World Cup (2014, 2016, 2017)

Juventus (Italy)

  • 2x Serie A (2018-19, 2019-20)

  • 1x Coppa Italia (2020-21)

  • 2x Italian Super Cup (2018, 2020)

Al-Nassr (Saudi Arabia)

  • 1x Saudi Pro League (2025-26)

  • 1x Arab Club Cup (2023)