Cristiano Ronaldo's Championship Dreams Crushed as Al Nassr's Trophy Curse Strikes Again

Trophies remain elusive for Cristiano Ronaldo following his arrival in Saudi Arabia, with Al Nassr's elimination in the King's Cup round of 16 marking another missed chance to secure his first silverware with the club.

Al Ittihad traveled to Al Nassr's home ground and secured a 2–1 victory over Ronaldo's side, knocking them out of the tournament despite being reduced to ten players for most of the second period.

During an evening where Ronaldo failed to leave his mark, it was his ex-Real Madrid colleague, Karim Benzema, who commanded attention. The French striker netted the opening goal after 15 minutes of play. The home team equalized through Angelo Gabriel's effort, but former Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar found the decisive goal near the end of the first half.

Even with the numerical superiority, an offensive quartet featuring Ronaldo, Kingsley Coman, João Félix and Sadio Mané couldn't orchestrate a turnaround in the latter period.

This represents another crushing setback for Ronaldo at Al Nassr. While his personal accomplishments remain impressive, his time in Saudi Arabia continues to be marred by a silverware shortage that will extend beyond three years.

Cristiano Ronaldo is Yet to Win a Trophy in Saudi Arabia

Since joining Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League at the start of 2023, the Portuguese forward has participated in 13 official tournaments without managing to guide his team to championship success.

Al Nassr finished as runners-up in the Saudi Pro League during both 2022–23 and 2023–24 seasons, unable to break Al Hilal and Al Ittihad's dominance of the competition. In the most recent campaign, Al Nassr ended up in third position.

Ronaldo has featured in the Asian Champions League on two occasions, with a semifinal appearance last season representing the furthest he and Al Nassr have progressed in the competition.

The Portuguese star has suffered defeat in all three finals he's contested with Al Nassr. The King's Cup and Saudi Super Cup have provided Ronaldo's most painful disappointments in Saudi Arabia. He experienced defeat in the 2024 King's Cup final before enduring back-to-back Saudi Super Cup final losses in 2024 and 2025.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Finals Results With Al Nassr

Ronaldo and Al Nassr did claim the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup. Nevertheless, FIFA doesn't acknowledge it as an official tournament.

The Next Trophy Cristiano Ronaldo Can Win With Al Nassr

With Al Nassr missing out on qualification for the 2025–26 Asian Champions League, the Saudi Pro League represents the sole remaining silverware Ronaldo could claim this season.

They're making promising progress, however. After six league matches, Al Nassr maintains a flawless record and holds a three-point advantage at the summit.

Ronaldo has delivered six goals and one assist thus far. In total, the squad has found the net 21 times while allowing just two goals.

Should Al Nassr capitalize on their excellent beginning, Ronaldo stands a genuine opportunity to finally claim silverware at club level for the first time since his spell at Juventus.