Cristiano Ronaldo had to wait longer for his first Saudi Pro League title after Al Nassr were denied victory in dramatic fashion, conceding a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw against title rivals Al Hilal on Tuesday night.
Al Nassr looked set to take a crucial step towards the championship before the game turned on its head deep into stoppage time. With the home crowd on the verge of celebrations, goalkeeper Bento failed to deal with a long throw-in and ended up diverting the ball into his own net in the eighth minute of added time. The mistake stunned the stadium and wiped out what would have been a title-clinching win on the night. Instead, Al Nassr were forced to settle for a draw in heartbreaking circumstances, with Ronaldo and his teammates left frustrated as the trophy race remained unresolved.
Ronaldo was left in disbelief on the sidelines as events on the pitch unfolded in dramatic fashion, denying Al Nassr the chance to wrap up the Saudi Pro League title on Tuesday night. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner could only watch from the dugout as late chaos in stoppage time saw victory slip away.
Meanwhile, the Portuguese star took to social media after his team’s late draw and wrote, “The dream is close. Heads up, we have one more step to take! Thank you all for the amazing support tonight!”
With one match remaining, Al Nassr sit top of the table with 83 points from 33 games, five points clear of second-placed Al Hilal, who have a game in hand.
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Al Nassr can still clinch the title by defeating Damac in their final match of the season on May 21. They could also be crowned champions earlier if Al Hilal drop points against Neom on Saturday.
Mohamed Simakan opened the scoring for hosts Al Nassr from a corner in the 37th minute and Kingsley Coman missed a huge chance to make it 2-0 near the interval, when his effort struck the post.
Ronaldo, 41, is yet to win a domestic title since joining in 2023 on a landmark deal that helped transform the Saudi league’s global profile and attract several high-profile names to the competition.
