Cristiano Ronaldo walked away from the medal ceremony after Al-Nassr suffered a 1-0 defeat to Japan’s Gamba Osaka in the AFC Champions League Two final on Saturday night. The match was played at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh, with Al-Nassr hoping to win the title on home soil. Instead, a single first-half goal from Turkish forward Deniz Hammat was enough to hand Osaka the trophy and leave Ronaldo without a major honour in Saudi Arabia.
Ronaldo was spotted walking alone towards the tunnel as his teammates stayed on the field as soon as the full-time whistle was blown. Ronaldo was not part of the squad that was led by Al-Nassr manager Jorge Jesus to the official medal presentation. The Portuguese striker was seen heading down the tunnel, visibly upset after losing another final. The club and Ronaldo didn’t make any official statement regarding his absence from the ceremony.
How Gamba Osaka Beat Al-Nassr in the Final
Hammat found Osaka in the box in the 30th minute and slotted a low shot into the bottom corner. The goal was held up for a long time by a long VAR check before it was confirmed. Al-Nassr had the better of possession and had more chances to score throughout the game, but they failed to get past Osaka’s disciplined defence.
Ronaldo was closest to equalising just before half-time, when he headed a Joao Felix cross wide from close range. With 13 minutes to play, Felix himself hit the post with a low shot from outside the area, which came agonisingly close. Despite the pressure from the home side, Osaka defended in numbers and held on to win the trophy.
Hammat, who was injured in the first half, told after the game that he was nervous to watch the second half from the sidelines, but was proud of his teammates’ performance to the end.
A Difficult Week for Ronaldo and Al-Nassr
The final defeat came just five days after a painful moment in the Saudi Pro League. Al-Nassr had been seconds away from clinching the league title before conceding in stoppage time, leaving the championship undecided heading into the final matchday.
It was yet another wait for a first major trophy with the Saudi club for Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr in December 2022. The 41-year-old has been a consistent performer for the side, scoring and attacking the ball all season. But Saturday night was a tough one as the late league defeat and the cup final loss compounded the situation.
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What Comes Next for Al-Nassr
Al-Nassr still have a chance to salvage their season, however, despite the double disappointment. The club is two points ahead of Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League table. If they beat relegation-threatened Damac in their last and next league game on Thursday, they would clinch the title.
That game now has even more significance for Ronaldo. It would be his first major honour since he arrived in Saudi Arabia and would help to redeem himself from the AFC Champions League Two final loss in Riyadh.
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