- Al Nassr lost 1-0 to Gamba Osaka in continental final.
- Ronaldo remains without major trophy since joining Saudi club.
- Jorge Jesus shifted focus to decisive Saudi league title race.
Cristiano Ronaldo suffered another major disappointment within a week as Al Nassr lost 1-0 at home to Gamba Osaka in the AFC Champions League Two final on Saturday.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the Riyadh-based club went into the final at the King Saud University Stadium as favourites, with more than 26,000 fans in attendance and hopes of becoming the first Saudi side to win the continent’s second-tier competition. However, the night ended in disappointment for the home supporters.
The breakthrough came in the 29th minute when Deniz Hummet latched onto a through pass from Issam Jebali before firing a low effort from the edge of the area into the net.
Al Nassr pushed forward consistently in the second half but failed to break down the disciplined Japanese defence, extending Ronaldo’s wait for a major trophy since joining the Saudi club in 2023.
Head coach Jorge Jesus admitted his side struggled early in the game.
“We had prepared well but they were very fast and they surprised us,” he said. “For the first 30 minutes, we were not at our best but after that, we dominated. They only had one opportunity and they scored from it.”
The defeat added to a difficult week for Ronaldo and Al Nassr. Earlier, the club had come close to securing the Saudi Pro League title before a late own goal forced them to settle for a 1-1 draw against Al Hilal.
“The dream is close,” the 41-year-old wrote on X after that setback. “Heads up, we have one more step to take! Thank you all for the amazing support tonight!”
The Saudi Pro League title race will now be decided on the final day of the season. Al Nassr are two points clear and will host Damac FC on Thursday, while Al Hilal travel to face Al Fayha.
Jesus said the team has already shifted focus to the league decider.
“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.”
