Three years. Four finals lost. Endless scrutiny. But on a dramatic final matchday in Riyadh, Al-Nassr silenced every critic and delivered the title their supporters had been craving since 2019. The Big Yellow are Saudi champions once more — and Cristiano Ronaldo finally has his Saudi league winner’s medal.
The Title-Winning Moment
Al-Nassr won the 2025/26 Saudi Pro League, becoming Saudi champions for the first time since 2019. The Riyadh club sealed the title by winning the highly anticipated derby against arch-rivals Al-Hilal 1-0, thanks to a goal from former Strasbourg defender Mohamed Simakan. The victory put Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates eight points ahead of Karim Benzema’s team, who — with two matches remaining — could no longer mathematically catch Al-Nassr.
A Season of Drama and Near-Misses
The road to the title was anything but straightforward. Al-Nassr’s campaign had heart-stopping moments throughout its final weeks. Just days before clinching the crown, Cristiano Ronaldo walked off the pitch frustrated after Al-Nassr saw a potential title celebration slip away in heartbreaking fashion — conceding deep in stoppage time to draw 1-1 against Al-Hilal, suddenly handing Benzema’s side a lifeline in the race.
Even earlier in the run-in, it was the Ronaldo-Coman combination that kept the dream alive. Ronaldo rose to the challenge with 14 minutes remaining against Al-Ahli, netting his 25th league goal of the campaign with a trademark header from João Félix’s corner. Then Kingsley Coman crashed home a second on 90 minutes, sending a thunderous volley past the keeper to restore Al-Nassr’s eight-point cushion at the top.
A Record-Breaking Ronaldo
Ronaldo didn’t just contribute goals — he rewrote Saudi Pro League history along the way. Across the 2025/26 campaign, Ronaldo found the net against all 17 opposing clubs in the league — a feat that had never previously been recorded in Saudi Arabian football. He also reached a personal milestone, bringing up his 100th Saudi Pro League goal during the season.
Four Countries, Four Domestic Titles
For Ronaldo personally, the significance of this crown cannot be overstated. He arrived in 2022 to a mix of fanfare and scrutiny, his move to Riyadh seen by some as a late-career detour. Instead, the Portuguese forward has now added the Saudi Pro League to a personal roll of honor that already includes the Premier League with Manchester United, La Liga with Real Madrid, and Serie A with Juventus — four countries, four domestic championships.
The Continental Heartbreak
The joy of the league title, however, came amid continental pain. Just days before sealing the league crown, Al-Nassr were beaten 1-0 by Japan’s Gamba Osaka in the final of the AFC Champions League Two at Alawwal Park. Osaka scored with their only shot on target — Deniz Hümmet’s goal in the 29th minute — and despite Al-Nassr dominating possession and shots on goal, they failed to find an equalizer. The defeat means Ronaldo has now lost four finals since joining Al-Nassr in December 2022.
A Historic Club Achievement
Amid the individual storylines, the collective achievement must not be overlooked. For the club, it is a landmark night — a tenth Saudi league title, a double-digit haul that cements their status among the country’s giants and ends a seven-year wait for the domestic crown.
Al-Nassr are champions. The dream, as Ronaldo promised his fans, was indeed close. Now it’s reality.