Cristiano Ronaldo finally claimed his first Saudi Pro League title on Thursday night as Al Nassr beat Damac 4-1 on the final matchday of the 2025-26 season, ending the club’s seven-year wait for a domestic league crown.
After more than three years in Saudi Arabia, plenty of criticism and several near misses, the Portuguese star delivered the domestic trophy Al Nassr had been desperate for since his arrival.
Ronaldo scored twice in front of a sold-out Al Awwal Park crowd in Riyadh, with his stunning free-kick to make it 3-1 igniting emotional scenes inside the stadium before he was reduced to tears late in the match.
Sadio Mane gave Al Nassr the lead with a powerful 35th-minute header, and Kingsley Coman doubled the advantage early in the second half with a neat finish into the far corner. Damac pulled one back via a penalty from Morlaye Sylla, but Ronaldo had the final say. He struck a low free-kick from a tight angle close to the left touchline that found the net, then added a second with a fierce close-range finish to complete the 4-1 victory.
Fellow Portuguese international João Felix also contributed on the night, registering a crucial assist and finishing the season as the league’s top assister with 13.
Al Nassr finished two points ahead of arch-rivals Al Hilal, rendering their rivals’ final-day 1-0 win at Al-Fayha meaningless.
Ronaldo has ended his wait for a first major trophy in Saudi Arabia, having only lifted the Arab Club Champions Cup, an unofficial competition, since joining Al Nassr in January 2023. His last major club title came with a Coppa Italia triumph at Juventus in 2021.
Ronaldo’s 28 league goals this season were not enough to win the Golden Boot, with that honour going to Julián Quiñones after a hat-trick for Al Qadsiah took his tally to 33.
The title adds to a trophy cabinet that already includes five UEFA Champions League titles, three Premier League titles, two La Liga crowns, two Serie A titles, the UEFA European Championship with Portugal, and two UEFA Nations League trophies, among other honours. Ronaldo remains football’s all-time leading goal scorer.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner will now carry this momentum into the international stage, having been included in Portugal’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, where he will be seeking the one major honour that still eludes him.
