Cristiano Ronaldo denied another trophy as Al-Nassr fall to Al-Ahli in Saudi Super Cup shootout

Cristiano Ronaldo’s pursuit of silverware in Saudi Arabia hit another frustrating roadblock on Saturday night, as Al-Nassr fell 4-3 on penalties to Al-Ahli after a gripping 2-2 draw in the Saudi Super Cup final.

From the outset, Jorge Jesus’ side dominated possession and poured forward in search of an early breakthrough. Wesley darted into the box and fired just wide, while João Félix was thwarted by Edouard Mendy’s sharp reflexes. Ronaldo himself attempted a spectacular overhead kick after 22 minutes, but his effort went straight into the arms of the Senegalese goalkeeper.

Al-Nassr’s persistence was finally rewarded in the 41st minute when a handball by Ali Majrashi led to a penalty. Ronaldo, unflustered under pressure, calmly converted from the spot to notch his 100th goal for the Riyadh giants. That milestone made him the first player in history to score a century of goals for five different teams – Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, Portugal, and now Al-Nassr.

But Al-Ahli responded instantly through Franck Kessié, who curled a superb strike beyond goalkeeper Bento. Late drama followed as Marcelo Brozović appeared to snatch victory with an 82nd-minute effort after capitalising on Kessié’s error. Yet in stoppage time, Roger Ibañez rose highest to head in the equaliser and force a shootout.

In the decisive moment, Mendy once again proved his class, saving Abdullah Al-Khaibari’s effort to hand Al-Ahli the trophy. It was a cruel ending for Ronaldo, who had delivered a tireless display and tested Mendy repeatedly.

For the Portuguese icon, now 40, this marks another missed chance at domestic silverware since arriving in Saudi Arabia. Beyond the disappointment, however, Ronaldo’s century for Al-Nassr underlines his enduring legacy and unmatched scoring pedigree.

Next, Al-Nassr will turn their attention back to the Saudi Pro League title race, with a crucial clash against Al-Taawoun scheduled for August 29.

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