Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr are experiencing a worrying dip in form at a time when expectations around the club remain extremely high. The Riyadh side has collected only four points from its last three Saudi Pro League matches, while the heavy midweek defeat to Al Ain has added another layer of concern, although there is an intriguing piece of recent history that could put the current spell into perspective.
The sequence has produced one win, one draw and one defeat, leaving Ange Postecoglou and his players with 16 points from their opening seven league matches. The results have also come after a perfect start to the domestic campaign, making the sudden change in momentum particularly noticeable.
The current run began on September 5, when Al-Nassr suffered a 2-1 defeat away to Al-Ittihad. Ronaldo and his teammates responded four days later by beating Abha 2-1, but the momentum stalled again when Al-Nassr was held to a 1-1 draw by Al-Khaleej on September 12.
Thus, the three matches have produced four points from a possible nine. Despite the dip, Al-Nassr remains near the top of the Saudi Pro League table, with five victories, one draw and one defeat from seven matches.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr reacts
The timing has made the sequence more concerning because Al-Nassr then suffered a 4-0 defeat to Al Ain in the AFC Champions League Elite. Ronaldo played the full match but managed only one shot on target from five attempts, while Al-Nassr’s overall performance left coach Ange Postecoglou acknowledging that the team had been well below its standard.
When was the last time this happened?
There is, however, a striking reason for Al-Nassr supporters to look back at the previous season before concluding the current run. The club produced exactly the same one-win, one-draw and one-loss sequence across three league matches in May 2026, taking four points from nine at a crucial stage of its title-winning campaign.
On May 3, 2026, Al-Nassr lost 3-1 away to Al-Qadsiah before recovering with a 4-2 victory over Al-Shabab on May 7. Five days later, the club drew 1-1 with Al-Hilal, completing the same four-point sequence that has now appeared again at the beginning of the 2026/27 campaign.
ESPN‘s results data records the three-match sequence, while the previous season’s overall results show that Al-Nassr eventually finished with 28 wins, two draws and four defeats. The temporary stumble therefore did little to prevent the club from achieving its ultimate domestic objective.
Jorge Jesus, then-coach of Al Nassr, looks on
From four points to Saudi Pro League glory
The biggest difference is what happened immediately afterward. Al-Nassr recovered from that May sequence and sealed the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League title on the final day, ending a seven-year wait for the championship.
The title was secured with a 4-1 victory over Damac on May 21, with Al-Nassr finishing the campaign on 86 points. The club’s overall record demonstrated how little the late-season dip ultimately mattered to its championship campaign.
That history provides useful context for Ronaldo’s current situation. A three-match sequence featuring four points is certainly a decline from a perfect start, but the same statistical pattern previously appeared during a season that ended with Al-Nassr lifting the league trophy.
