Ronaldo faded, Al Nassr's dream of winning the Saudi Arabian King's Cup was shattered

(Dan Tri) - Karim Benzema opened the scoring in Al Ittihad's 2-1 victory at Al Nassr Stadium in the early morning of October 29. The defeat at the Saudi Arabian King's Cup lengthened Cristiano Ronaldo's title drought.

Cristiano Ronaldo has yet to break his trophy drought since moving to Saudi Arabia, with Al Nassr having just been eliminated from the Saudi King's Cup round of 16. This is the latest missed opportunity for the Portuguese superstar to win his first title with his home club.

In the match at Al Nassr's home stadium, Al Ittihad beat Ronaldo and Co. 2-1, despite playing with a man down for much of the second half. Ronaldo had a lackluster night, while his former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema was the man to shine. The French striker opened the scoring in the 15th minute. Al Nassr equalized through Angelo Gabriel, but former Lyon player Houssem Aouar scored the decisive goal late in the first half.

Ronaldo faded in Al Nassr's defeat (Photo: Getty).

Despite having a man advantage in the second half, the attacking line of Ronaldo, Kingsley Coman, Joao Felix and Sadio Mana could not come back. It was another heartbreaking defeat for Ronaldo at Al Nassr. Despite his impressive individual achievements, his time in Saudi Arabia continues to be marred by a trophy drought that has lasted more than three years.

Since joining Al Nassr in early 2023, the Portuguese striker has played in 13 official competitions but has yet to lead the club to glory. Al Nassr finished second in the Saudi Professional Football League in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, failing to end the dominance of Al Hilal and Al Ittihad. Last season, Al Nassr only managed third place.

Ronaldo has played in the AFC Champions League twice, with last season's semi-final appearance being his best performance with Al Nassr in the competition. The Portuguese has lost all three finals he has played in with Al Nassr, including the 2024 King's Cup and two consecutive Saudi Super Cup finals in 2024 and 2025.

Al Nassr won the 2023 Arab Champions Cup, but the tournament is not recognized as an official tournament by FIFA.

With Al Nassr failing to qualify for the 2025-26 AFC Champions League, the Saudi Arabian Pro League is the only remaining trophy Ronaldo can lift this season. However, they are on the right track. After six games, Al Nassr have a perfect record and are three points clear at the top of the table.

Ronaldo has contributed six goals and one assist so far. In total, the team has scored 21 goals and conceded just two. If Al Nassr can continue to build on his excellent start, Ronaldo will have a great chance of finally winning a club trophy for the first time since his time at Juventus.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/ronaldo-mo-nhat-al-nassr-tan-mong-vo-dich-cup-nha-vua-saudi-arabia-20251029075214235.htm