Ronaldo’s Trophy Wait Continues as Al-Nassr Lose AFC Champions League Two Final

The final, played at King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh before more than 26,000 supporters, saw Al-Nassr enter as favourites to lift Asia’s second-tier club competition, often compared to Europe’s Europa League.

However, Gamba Osaka stunned the home side in the 30th minute when Deniz Hummet finished calmly after connecting with a through ball from Issam Jebali.

Despite dominating large portions of the game, Al-Nassr failed to break through the Japanese side’s defence in the second half, allowing Gamba Osaka to secure a historic victory as the first Japanese club to win the competition.

The result also denied Al-Nassr the chance to become the first Saudi Arabian team to claim the title.

The defeat adds to Ronaldo’s recent frustrations after Al-Nassr dropped points in the Saudi Pro League earlier in the week following a dramatic late own goal by goalkeeper Bento in a 1-1 draw against rivals Al-Hilal.

Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr in January 2023, remains the club’s top scorer this season with 28 goals in 36 appearances across all competitions, but is still searching for his first major silverware in Saudi Arabia.

Despite the continental setback, Al-Nassr still have a chance to win the Saudi Pro League title. They will secure the championship — their first league crown since 2019 and 11th overall — if they defeat Damac FC in their final league game on Thursday.

Speaking after the loss, Al-Nassr coach Jorge Jesus admitted the disappointment but insisted the team must quickly shift focus to the title race.

“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,” he said.

“We have five days to recover and prepare and there is no time for grieving. We have to get going again.”