Khaberni - Cristiano Ronaldo continued his disastrous record after Al Nassr lost to Al Ittihad 1-2 in the quarterfinals of the King's Cup, bidding an early farewell to the tournament on one of the harshest nights for its fans.
Despite taking an early lead, the team was unable to maintain its advantage against Al Ittihad's persistence, which turned the game around in their favor in the second half, continuing their historical dominance in their knockout encounters with Al Nassr.
This loss was not ordinary for the capital team; it underscored a series of consecutive failures since the Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo joined the team at the beginning of 2023. Al Nassr, despite its significant spending on signings and bringing in world-class names, failed to win any official title over three full years, which exacerbated pressures on the club's management, technical staff, and players alike.
Despite Ronaldo's attempts to lead the team towards championships, the numbers reveal a troubling reality; the Portuguese star lost 13 official tournaments since his arrival in Riyadh, including the Saudi League in the seasons of 2023, 2024, and 2025, the King's Cup in four consecutive seasons, the Saudi Super Cup four times, in addition to two editions of the AFC Champions League.
Despite scoring dozens of goals and his individual brilliance, this has not translated into collective championships that match his ambitions or the aspirations of Al Nassr fans.
Club fans, in turn, expressed widespread anger after the new exit, considering that the team suffers from a lack of balance in performance and a lack of solutions in major matches, while other voices called for a comprehensive review of the entire sports project.
As for Ronaldo, who appeared affected after the final whistle, he simply shook hands with his teammates and left the pitch without any statements, in a scene that sums up the extent of frustration the team is experiencing.
It appears that the next stage will be crucial for the future of Al Nassr and Ronaldo together, especially with declining fan confidence and growing doubts about the capability of the current project to achieve championships. Between the ambition of a player seeking a new achievement at the end of his career, and a club aiming to regain its local and continental prestige.
