It was an evening to forget for Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr as they ended in a late draw, having led 1-0 until the final moments of the match on Tuesday (May 12) in the Saudi Pro League (SPL). However, a late own goal saw the match end 1-1, meaning Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr’s nearest rivals, stay within five points with a game in hand. After the draw, star man Cristiano Ronaldo’s reaction went viral as he was clearly disappointed.
The former Real Madrid forward started the match and was on the field when Al-Nassr took the lead. The 37th-minute goal meant Ronado’s side were leading and had an eight-point lead at the top. However, the late equaliser meant Al-Nassr’s hopes of sealing the SPL title took a major hit. They will now need a favour from other sides in case they are to win the SPL title.
What happened in the match?
Al Nassr goalkeeper Bento scored a 98th-minute own goal that denied his team the chance to wrap up the Saudi Pro League title in a 1-1 draw with Al Hilal on Tuesday. Al Nassr were seconds away from clinching the title for the first time since the 2018-2019 season when Brazil international Bento failed to claim a long Al Hilal throw-in, with the ball bouncing into his own net.
Ronaldo was seconds away from winning his first Saudi Pro League Title 👀
Al-Nassr still have a chance to win it next week pic.twitter.com/uc2yM0dS4n
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) May 12, 2026
With one match remaining, Al Nassr sit top of the table with 83 points from 33 games, five points clear of second-placed Al Hilal, who have a game in hand. Al Nassr will secure the title by beating Damac in their final match of the season on May 21 or they could be crowned champions if Al Hilal fail to beat Neom on Saturday.
Mohamed Simakan opened the scoring for hosts Al Nassr from a corner in the 37th minute and Kingsley Coman missed a huge chance to make it 2-0 near the interval, when his effort struck the post. Cristiano Ronaldo, who is still waiting for his first domestic trophy with Al Nassr, saw an effort fly wide seconds after the restart.
“The dream is close,” the 41-year-old wrote on X to his 107.5 million followers, his side having been seconds from glory.
“Heads up, we have one more step to take! Thank you all for the amazing support tonight!”
Former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward Ronaldo is yet to taste domestic honours in Saudi Arabia since signing a lucrative contract in 2023.
