Cristiano Ronaldo’s wait for a trophy in Saudi Arabia continued as his team Al Nassr lost 1-2 to Al Ittihad in the King’s Cup round of 16 on Tuesday.
This was the thirteenth title the Portuguese star has missed since joining the Saudi Pro League in 2023.
Ronaldo’s former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema opened the scoring for the visitor after a quick break in the 15th minute. Moussa Diaby was at the heart of the counter, finding Benzema in space in the penalty area before the striker slotted the ball into the bottom left corner to take the lead.
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Al Nassr leveled matters after half an hour through Angelo Gabriel, who pounced on a loose ball in the opposition penalty area after they failed to clear a Ronaldo cross. The twenty-year-old Brazilian took a touch and smashed it into the roof of the net, leaving goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic without any chance to save.
However, Ittihad restored the lead just before half time after Houssem Aouar met a perfectly weighted through ball from Mario Mitaj. Former Roma Olympique Lyonnais midfielder took his time and curled the ball perfectly past the advancing Bento into the bottom right corner.
Al Nassr dominated the game in the second half, but could not find a way past the Ittihad defense.
Published on October 29, 2025
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