Cristiano Ronaldo suffers third consecutive final loss with Al Nassr, extends awful club title drought
The 2025 Saudi Super Cup final was a match to remember. Throughout the game, both Al Nassr and Al Ahli showed they had the tools to claim the trophy, providing moments of intense excitement. The final result was frustrating for Cristiano Ronaldo, who is still searching for his first club title with Al Nassr.
Since joining Al Nassr in December 2022, Ronaldo’s main goal has been to lead the team to a major trophy, and they’ve come close several times. In the Saudi Pro League, they’ve consistently finished behind Al Ittihad and Al Hilal, and their fortunes in other domestic tournaments have been no better.
In the two and a half years Cristiano has spent in Saudi Arabia, he’s reached three finals—and lost all three. Al Hilal defeated him in the 2023–24 King’s Cup and the 2024 Saudi Super Cup, while this past Saturday, Al Ahli triumphed in the decisive match of the 2025 Saudi Super Cup.
This extends an incredible winless streak for Ronaldo at the club level: his last title came more than four years ago. It was in May 2021, when he won the Coppa Italia 2020-21 with Juventus, defeating Atalanta in the final. Since then, his time at Manchester United and now at Al Nassr has seen him still searching for an official club trophy.
Why doesn’t Ronaldo’s only title with Al Nassr count?
Cristiano Ronaldo’s club title drought of more than four years comes with an footnote. On August 12, 2023, the Portuguese forward scored twice to lead Al Nassr to a 2-1 win over Al Hilal in the final of the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup, lifting the trophy.
However, that title isn’t included in Al Nassr’s official trophy count, nor in Ronaldo’s personal total. The reason? The Arab Club Champions Cup is not recognized as an official FIFA tournament and therefore doesn’t carry the same status as other competitions in which CR7 has competed throughout his career.
The Arab Club Champions Cup is organized by the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA) and features a wide range of clubs from Asia and Africa that belong to the Arab world. Founded in 1981, the tournament has held 32 editions. Esperance de Tunis and Al-Rasheed share the record with three titles each. Saudi Arabia is the most successful country in the competition’s history, with nine total wins—divided among Al Hilal (2), Al Shabab (2), Al Ettifaq (2), Al Ittihad (1), Al Ahli (1), and Al Nassr (1).
Portugal the exception for Ronaldo
Amid this unprecedented club title drought in Cristiano Ronaldo’s career, the strong performances of his national team have provided a rare bright spot. Earlier this year, Portugal won the 2025 UEFA Nations League by defeating Spain in the final. It was the third major trophy for both Portugal and Ronaldo at the international level—and notably, the only title he has won since 2021.