Ronaldo Finally Gets His Saudi Title as Al-Nassr Edge Al Hilal

Cristiano Ronaldo finally has his Saudi league title.

The 41-year-old scored twice as Al-Nassr FC beat Damac FC 4-1 on the final night of the Saudi Pro League season, securing the championship ahead of rivals Al Hilal SFC by just two points.

For Ronaldo, it was the end of a surprisingly long wait for domestic silverware. Since arriving in Saudi Arabia in early 2023, he had delivered goals, attention and commercial weight to the league, but major trophies largely stayed out of reach. Thursday’s win changes that.

His two decisive moments came in the final half-hour. First, a trademark free-kick slipped through traffic and into the far corner in the 63rd minute after Damac had threatened a comeback. Then, with nine minutes left, Ronaldo buried a cut-back from close range to seal the title.

As the final whistle approached, he sat on the bench visibly emotional, at one point appearing close to tears. It was his first major club league title since winning Serie A with Juventus FC in 2020.

The Saudi championship now joins league titles won in England, Spain and Italy, alongside the five Champions League trophies that defined much of his European career.

Ronaldo’s move to Saudi Arabia in January 2023 was initially viewed as both a sporting gamble and a geopolitical statement. After a turbulent second spell at Manchester United FC, he signed a hugely lucrative deal with Al-Nassr reportedly worth around $232m over two and a half years. That contract was later extended in 2025.

The transfer also opened the floodgates. Within months, stars like Neymar and Karim Benzema followed into the Saudi Pro League as the kingdom attempted to rapidly elevate the competition’s global profile.

Saudi officials framed the spending as part of a broader economic and cultural transformation strategy tied to tourism, investment and the country’s long-term post-oil ambitions. Football became one of the flagship projects of that push, especially after Saudi Arabia secured hosting rights for the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

But the project has produced mixed results. While star power exploded, international engagement with the league has remained uneven. Transfer spending has also slowed recently, and some of the kingdom’s headline sports investments are being scaled back or reassessed.

Ronaldo’s own Saudi chapter has hardly been flawless. He endured painful cup defeats, including the 2024 King’s Cup final loss to Al Hilal, where he was seen crying after the penalty shootout. This season, he also briefly disappeared from the lineup amid reports of frustration linked to Benzema’s move to Al Hilal.

Even so, his impact on Saudi football is difficult to overstate. With 664 million Instagram followers and unmatched global visibility, Ronaldo became the face of the league’s international push almost immediately after arriving.