Cristiano Ronaldo suffered a major setback in the Saudi Pro League title race following Al Nassr’s 3–2 loss to Karim Benzema’s Al Ittihad on Wednesday. As the 2024–25 season nears its end, the Portuguese star’s chances of qualifying for the next edition of the AFC Champions League Elite are now in serious jeopardy.
Al Nassr’s troubles began on April 30, when Kawasaki Frontale pulled off a shock 3–2 win in the AFC Champions League semifinals, crushing the Saudi side’s continental hopes. But the loss to Al Ittihad may have been an even heavier blow—shifting their focus from a potential title push to a struggle just to qualify for international competition.
Currently sitting fourth in the league with 60 points from 30 matches, Al Nassr trail the first-place team by 11 points—with only 12 points left to play for. While the league title is slipping away, the bigger concern now is Champions League qualification.
Typically, three Saudi Pro League clubs qualify for the AFC Champions League. However, since Al Ahly has already won this season’s tournament, only the top two league finishers will secure spots in next year’s competition. That means Al Nassr must climb into second place to earn a ticket to the 2025–26 edition.
As it stands, Al Ahly are third with 61 points, Al Hilal are second with 65, and Al Ittihad top the table with 71. With just four matches remaining, Ronaldo and Al Nassr not only need to win out, but also hope for their rivals to drop points—a tall order with time running out.
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Another trophyless season for Cristiano Ronaldo
Since arriving at Al Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo has continued to rack up goals, pushing his career tally to 934 and fueling talk of a potential 1,000-goal milestone. However, his trophy cabinet hasn’t grown at the same pace.
In 2023, Ronaldo did lift the Arab Club Champions Cup with Al Nassr, though it is not recognized as an official FIFA trophy. Aside from that title, the Portuguese icon has yet to claim major silverware in Saudi Arabia—and it appears that drought will extend at least until next season.
