After nearly three and a half seasons with Al Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo will have to wait at least two more weeks to win his first Saudi league title. The Portuguese forward saw his team’s championship hopes slip away in dramatic fashion during a derby against Al Hilal, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
In the final play of the match, goalkeeper Bento, who had been outstanding throughout, attempted to secure a throw-in but collided with teammate Iñigo Martínez. The ball trickled into the net, giving Al Hilal a late equalizer in the 90+8th minute.
Playing at home in Riyadh, Jorge Jesus’s side knew that a victory would be enough to succeed Al Ittihad as champions. The early chances, however, belonged to the visitors, with Karim Benzema at the center of their attacks. Benzema even had a goal disallowed in the 18th minute.
Al Nassr broke the deadlock through an unlikely source: Mohamed Simakan. The defender scored from a corner kick, firing a first-time shot into the net to give his team a 1-0 lead at halftime.
Cristiano Ronaldo had several dangerous shots saved by Moroccan goalkeeper Bounou. He was substituted in the 82nd minute, while João Félix and Rúben Neves played the full match for Al Hilal.
With only one game left in the season—away to Damac on May 21, after the Asian Champions League 2 final against Gamba Osaka—Al Nassr needs just a draw to secure the title, provided Al Hilal fails to win its postponed match against NEOM on Saturday. If Al Hilal loses or draws that game, Al Nassr will be crowned champions without even kicking a ball on the final day.
Jorge Jesus could deliver Al Nassr its first league title since 2019, when Rui Vitória was in charge. For now, Cristiano Ronaldo was left in disbelief after watching his team’s title celebrations put on hold.