Al-Nassr’s two-year trophy drought deepened in Riyadh on Saturday night after they lost 1-0 to Gamba Osaka in the AFC Champions League final. The Saudi club, built around Cristiano Ronaldo, had come into the match unbeaten in 17 games but left empty-handed after a tightly contested 90 minutes. Gamba Osaka lifted their second Asian club trophy in nine years with a goal from former Barcelona youth player Shuhei Kamijima, who scored in the 53rd minute after a quick counterattack caught Al-Nassr’s defense napping.

Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr in January 2023, played the full 90 minutes but couldn’t add to his club’s tally. The Portuguese striker has now gone 18 months without a major trophy, despite his prolific scoring record in Saudi Arabia’s Pro League. Al-Nassr’s president Musalli Al-Muammar admitted post-match that the team lacked sharpness in attack, a rare issue for a side that’s averaged over two goals per game this season.

Why the loss stings for Ronaldo and Al-Nassr

For Ronaldo, this loss cuts deep — not just because of the missed opportunity but because it’s another year without a Champions League medal. Saudi clubs have struggled in Asia’s premier club competition, with Al-Nassr failing to advance past the group stage in the last two editions before this run. The final in Riyadh felt like a home game, but Gamba Osaka’s discipline exposed Al-Nassr’s vulnerabilities. The Saudi side dominated possession but lacked clinical finishing, hitting just two shots on target all match.

Gamba Osaka enter the history books with this win, becoming only the third Japanese club to win the AFC Champions League. Their coach Takeshi Koshida told reporters after the game that his team’s preparation focused on stifling Ronaldo’s influence, which they managed by packing numbers behind the ball. The Japanese side also benefited from Al-Nassr’s unfamiliarity with the extra-time format, which they hadn’t faced in any previous rounds this campaign.

What happens next for both teams

Ronaldo’s contract with Al-Nassr runs until 2025, so he isn’t going anywhere just yet. But the club will need to address their finishing problems if they hope to break their trophy duck next season. Their top scorer Abderrazak Hamdallah missed two clear chances in the first half, including a penalty that was saved by Gamba’s goalkeeper Kosei Tani. Hamdallah’s frustration summed up Al-Nassr’s night — a side that’s built to score, but couldn’t when it mattered.

For Gamba Osaka, the win secures their place in next year’s FIFA Club World Cup, a tournament they’ll host as Asian champions. The club’s next challenge is maintaining this form domestically, where they currently sit mid-table in Japan’s J1 League. Meanwhile, Al-Nassr’s focus shifts to the Saudi Pro League title race. They sit second in the table, four points behind leaders Al-Hilal, with a game in hand. A league title would at least give Ronaldo something to show for his efforts in 2024.

The final whistle in Riyadh left Ronaldo staring at the turf, his celebrations replaced by a rare moment of disappointment. Two years into his Saudi adventure, the trophy cabinet remains untouched — a fact that’s starting to feel personal for one of football’s greatest winners.

What You Need to Know

  • Source: BBC Sport
  • Published: May 17, 2026 at 06:30 UTC
  • Category: Sports
  • Topics: #bbc · #sports · #football · #champions-league · #ronaldo · #nassr

Read the Full Story

This is a curated summary. For the complete article, original data, quotes and full analysis:

Read the full story on BBC Sport →

All reporting rights belong to the respective author(s) at BBC Sport. GlobalBR News summarizes publicly available content to help readers discover the most relevant global news.

Curated by GlobalBR News · May 17, 2026

🇧🇷 Resumo em Português

O sonho de Cristiano Ronaldo de erguer seu primeiro troféu no futebol saudita desabou mais uma vez no último domingo, quando o Al-Nassr foi derrotado pelo Gamba Osaka por 1-0 na final da AFC Champions League, em Riad. A derrota, decidida por um gol no fim do primeiro tempo, não apenas manteve a sequência de frustrações do time de Ronaldo — que soma mais de dois anos sem levantar taças — como também enterrou a chance de o craque português deixar sua marca na história do clube com um título continental.

A derrota do Al-Nassr tem um peso ainda maior para o futebol brasileiro e para os torcedores de língua portuguesa, pois representa mais um capítulo na trajetória de Ronaldo no Oriente Médio, onde ele continua a colecionar insucessos após sua mudança em 2023. Para os brasileiros, a eliminação do time saudita reacende discussões sobre o real impacto de estrelas como Ronaldo em ligas menos competitivas, enquanto os torcedores do Al-Nassr, muitos deles expatriados e fãs do português, veem a frustração se prolongar. A derrota ainda reforça a impressão de que, apesar do investimento milionário, o clube segue longe de se firmar como uma potência no futebol asiático, algo que já havia se tornado uma incômoda realidade.

Com a temporada chegando ao fim, a pergunta que fica é: quanto tempo mais Ronaldo e o Al-Nassr estarão dispostos a conviver com a sina de chegar perto, mas nunca conquistar?