A free-kick and a late goal helped Al Nassr overcome Damac in a tense title race to secure the championship.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Al Nassr clinched the Saudi Pro League title with a 4–1 win over Damac on Thursday, ending his long wait for domestic silverware.
A trademark free-kick followed by a close-range finish in the final half-hour secured the victory Al Nassr needed on the final night of the season, with rivals Al Hilal finishing just two points behind.
Cristiano Ronaldo, aged 41, who had not won a major club trophy since lifting Serie A with Juventus in 2020, joined the Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr in 2023 to great acclaim.
He was seen in tears as he watched the closing minutes of the match from the bench.
He adds the Saudi championship to his collection of league titles from England, Spain, and Italy, along with five UEFA Champions League medals.
Al Nassr took a 2–0 lead before being pulled back to 2–1, but Cristiano Ronaldo restored control with a free-kick on the 63rd minute that evaded the goalkeeper and a crowd of defenders to find the far corner.
He struck again nine minutes from time, finishing a cut-back from close range and smashing the ball into the net from inside the six-yard box.
The all-time leading men’s international goalscorer, with 143 goals, now turns his attention to a potential sixth World Cup appearance after being named in Portugal’s squad.
Ronaldo, who joined Al Nassr in January 2023 after his second spell at Manchester United ended on a difficult note, is widely seen as having helped open the door to a wave of high-profile transfers to Saudi football.
Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly signed a two-and-a-half-year deal worth an estimated €200 million, later extended for two more years in June 2025, after joining Al Nassr in January 2023. His arrival was followed by other major signings, including Neymar and Karim Benzema.
The aim has been to elevate the Saudi Pro League into one of the world’s top five football competitions in terms of player quality, stadium attendance, and commercial reach, although global engagement has so far been mixed.
In December 2024, Saudi Arabia was confirmed as host of the 2034 FIFA World Cup, marking a major milestone in its efforts to diversify its economy away from oil and expand tourism and business through sport.
With over 664 million Instagram followers, Cristiano Ronaldo has also become a highly visible global ambassador as the country works to reshape its international image and move beyond its traditionally conservative reputation.
This month, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund said it is exiting the breakaway LIV Golf tour, after reportedly investing more than $5 billion into the project that reshaped professional golf but also divided the sport.
Meanwhile, spending on high-profile football transfers has slowed, with fewer major big-money moves compared to earlier phases of the Saudi football push.
Cristiano Ronaldo was the Saudi Pro League’s top scorer in his first two seasons, taking his career tally to 973 goals—leaving him tantalisingly close to the 1,000-goal milestone.
However, his time in Saudi Arabia has not been without setbacks. In 2024, he was left in tears after Al Nassr lost the King’s Cup final to Al Hilal on penalties, denying him his first domestic trophy in Saudi Arabia at the time.This season, Cristiano Ronaldo was absent from Al Nassr’s lineup for three matches in what was seen as a protest linked to Karim Benzema’s move to rivals Al Hilal.
Both Al Hilal and Al Nassr are among the clubs associated with the Public Investment Fund, the country’s roughly $900 billion sovereign wealth fund.
Before Thursday’s triumph, Ronaldo’s only silverware with Al Nassr had been the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup. He also suffered disappointment at the weekend when Al Nassr lost to Gamba Osaka in the AFC Champions League Two final.
