Cristiano Ronaldo endured another painful night as Al Nassr FC were beaten 1-0 by Gamba Osaka in the AFC Champions League Two final on Saturday.
The defeat, played before over 26,000 fans at King Saud University Stadium, extended Ronaldo’s wait for his first major trophy since joining Al Nassr in 2023.
Al Nassr went into the final as favourites, hoping to become the first Saudi club to win the AFC Champions League Two title. However, the home side were stunned when Gamba Osaka took the lead against the run of play in the 29th minute.
Deniz Hümmet scored the decisive goal after connecting with a precise through ball from Issam Jebali and finishing calmly from the edge of the penalty area.
Despite dominating much of the second half and piling pressure on the Japanese side, Al Nassr could not find an equaliser as Gamba held firm to claim the continental crown.
After the match, Al Nassr coach Jorge Jesus admitted his side were caught off guard early in the game.
He said the team had prepared well but struggled in the opening stages, allowing Gamba to capitalise on their only clear chance before Al Nassr took control for the remainder of the match.
The latest defeat comes just days after Ronaldo missed out on another opportunity to win silverware. Earlier in the week, Al Nassr were seconds away from moving closer to the Saudi Pro League title before a dramatic stoppage-time own goal by goalkeeper Bento handed rivals Al Hilal SFC a 1-1 draw.
Ronaldo had reacted to that setback on social media by saying the dream was still within reach and urging his teammates to stay focused.
Al Nassr remain in contention for the Saudi Pro League title, sitting two points ahead of Al Hilal with one match left to play. They will host Damac FC in their final game of the season, while Al Hilal travel to face Al Fayha FC.
For Ronaldo and Al Nassr, the league title now represents their final chance to end the season on a high after another painful cup final defeat.
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