In January 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr FC with a promise to bring championships to the team. Unfortunately, more than two years have passed, and Ronaldo has yet to fulfill his promise. In the early hours of today, Al-Nassr was held to a 1-1 draw, effectively ending Ronaldo's hopes for the league title.
Before this match, Al-Nassr was ranked third in the Saudi Professional League. To catch up with the two teams ahead of them (Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad Jeddah), Ronaldo's team needed to secure victories in the coming games. Facing Al-Batin, a weaker opponent, Al-Nassr had a good chance to take all three points.
However, Al-Nassr failed to capitalize on the opportunity. In the last moments of the first half, Al-Batin broke the deadlock, making it 1-0. In the second half, with no room for error, Al-Nassr pushed forward aggressively. Ronaldo made several attempts but could not find the back of the net. In the 63rd minute, Laporte scored a header, leveling the score at 1-1.
Despite dominating the final 30 minutes, Al-Nassr could not score again, resulting in a 1-1 draw away from home. In their last four matches across all competitions, Al-Nassr has only won one, showing poor form.
Ronaldo played the full match, attempting eight shots with three on target, both being the highest in the game. However, he could not contribute to the team's goal tally, ending his streak of scoring in six consecutive matches across competitions. Ronaldo also provided two key passes. After the match, Ronaldo received a rating of 7.5, ranking second within the team.
With just 17 days until his 40th birthday, Ronaldo knows that while scoring is important, winning championships is what he truly desires. This season marks his third with Al-Nassr, yet he has not won any official titles, which is both a regret and an embarrassment for him.
This season, Al-Nassr is likely to end trophyless once again. They have slipped to fourth place in the league table, trailing leaders Al-Hilal by a significant 11 points. In the first 15 rounds, Al-Nassr has only managed to win eight matches.
According to recent reports from Saudi media, Ronaldo is set to extend his contract with Al-Nassr for another year, with a salary of 183 million euros, making him the highest-paid player in football. Barring any surprises, Ronaldo plans to retire after the 2026 World Cup.