Video: Cristiano Ronaldo’s shocking miss as Al Nassr are eliminated by Kawasaki Frontale in AFC Champions League

Al Nassr and Kawasaki Frontale squared off at Alinma Stadium in the AFC Champions League semifinals with a spot in the final on the line. In stoppage time, Cristiano Ronaldo missed a clear chance that ultimately sealed his team’s elimination.

Kawasaki opened the scoring in the 10th minute with a spectacular volley from Tatsuya Ito, who placed the ball in the top corner from the edge of the box. Al Nassr responded in the 28th minute, when Sadio Mane equalized after a deflected shot found its way into the back of the net.

The Japanese side regained control late in the first half. Yuto Ozeki gave them the lead in the 41st minute, and Akihiro Ienaga extended the advantage to 3–1 in the 76th. Ayman Yahya cut the deficit to 3–2 in the 87th, setting up a dramatic finish as Al Nassr pushed for the equalizer.

In the 95th minute, Al Nassr nearly tied it. Mohamed Simakan launched a long ball that was headed down by Aymeric Laporte, setting up Cristiano Ronaldo one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Ronaldo beat the keeper with a delicate touch, but when he attempted to finish with his left foot, he failed to connect cleanly—squandering a golden chance in the final moments.

After the final whistle, Ronaldo was seen alone at midfield, reenacting the missed chance. Visibly frustrated, the Portuguese star was mimicking the final moments of the play, seemingly in disbelief over the costly error.

With the 3–2 win over Ronaldo’s Al Nassr, Kawasaki Frontale advance to the AFC Champions League final, where they will face Al Ahli. The Saudi club booked their place after a 3–1 win over Al Hilal on Tuesday.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s numbers in another season without silverware

Al Nassr made significant investments ahead of the 2024–25 season to support Cristiano Ronaldo’s pursuit of major trophies in Saudi Arabia. Despite bringing in high-profile signings such as Jhon Durán (€77M), Mohamed Simakan (€35M), Ângelo (€23M), Bento (€18M), and Wesley (€18M), the club once again fell short of expectations.

Ronaldo featured in 38 matches across all competitions for Al Nassr this season, scoring an impressive 33 goals and providing 4 assists. But with the team already eliminated from the King’s Cup, the Saudi Super Cup, the AFC Champions League, and trailing the Saudi Pro League leaders by eight points, the Portuguese forward is on track to finish another campaign without a trophy.