Ronaldo and Al-Nassr miss out on AFC Champions League Elite qualification

Al-Nassr missed out on qualification for the AFC Champions League Elite, as Al Fateh twice came from behind before stunning Cristiano Ronaldo and company with a 96th-minute winner in the Saudi Pro League.

Al-Nassr went into the final matchday of the campaign needing a win to have any chance of overtaking Al-Hilal to finish second and take the final qualification place.

Their hopes had been reinvigorated on Sunday, as they were awarded three points for a recent 2-1 loss to Al-Orouba, who were found to have fielded an ineligible player.

But they finished with a defeat despite twice taking the lead through Ronaldo and Sadio Mane. Ronaldo arrived unmarked at the far post to nod in a 42nd-minute opener, though Matias Vargas drew the hosts level with a close-range finish in first-half stoppage time.

Having missed a pair of glaring chances, Mane tucked Nawaf Bu Washl’s right-wing centre home to put Al-Nassr 2-1 up in the 75th minute.

However, Mourad Batna’s wonderful free-kick dragged Al Fateh level in the 81st minute, causing Al-Nassr to throw players forward in search of a winner.

They were caught out in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time, with Matheus Machado drilling home at the second attempt after his initial shot was blocked back to him.

BREATHE. pic.twitter.com/7zzzh43KUG

— Roshn Saudi League (@SPL_EN) May 26, 2025

Ultimately, even a victory would not have been enough to overtake Al-Hilal, who beat Al-Qadsiah 2-0 thanks to goals from Aleksandar Mitrovic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.

Mitrovic found the bottom-left corner with a 25th-minute penalty to put them ahead, then Milinkovic-Savic sealed the points with a neat finish across goal in the second half.

Al-Hilal finished as runners-up, five points clear of Al-Nassr, with fourth-placed Al-Qadsiah two points behind Stefano Pioli’s team, who go into the AFC Champions League 2.

Champions Al-Ittihad, meanwhile, signed off with a 1-0 victory over Damac, with Steven Bergwijn clipping a finish over Florin Nita in the 72nd minute.

Reigning AFC Champions League Elite champions Al-Ahli, meanwhile, finished fifth after beating Al-Riyadh 1-0 via a 16th-minute penalty from Ivan Toney, the England international’s 23rd league goal of the season.

At the bottom, Al-Okhdood staved off relegation via a penalty from Mohammed Naif Saleh Al Jahif in the 15th minute of second-half stoppage time, with Al-Wehda going down courtesy of a 2-1 defeat to Al-Ettifaq, who scored a 96th-minute winner via Vitinho.

is SHOOK @ALAKHDOUD are safe with the last shot of the #RoshnSaudiLeague season https://t.co/163C5mjjvC pic.twitter.com/UddbGP0cCJ

— Roshn Saudi League (@SPL_EN) May 26, 2025

Data Debrief: New low for Al-Nassr, but consolation for Ronaldo

Ronaldo has been linked with a transfer away from the Saudi Pro League, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino suggesting he could move to a participant in the Club World Cup.

If this was his final game for Al-Nassr, he went out on a sour note, exiting the pitch to a chorus of boos after Al-Nassr recorded their worst Pro League finish since his 2022 arrival (second in 2022-23 and 2023-24).

Ronaldo did at least achieve the consolation prize of the Golden Boot, finishing on 25 goals to edge out Toney, having also won it with 35 goals last campaign.