Cristiano Ronaldo's misery deepens as Al Nassr falls short in AFC championship with narrow 1-0 defeat

Cristiano Ronaldo's quest for his first major trophy with Al Nassr was dealt a significant blow when the Saudi club fell to a shocking 1-0 defeat at home to Japan's Gamba Osaka in the AFC Champions League Two final on Saturday.

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This loss marked the second time in a week that Ronaldo had experienced heartache, following a dramatic turn of events in the Saudi Pro League earlier in the week.

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A crowd of 26,000 fans had gathered at the King Saud University Stadium, expecting Al Nassr to become the first Saudi Arabian side to claim the AFC Champions League Two title, but it was not to be.

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Gamba Osaka's forward Deniz Hummet scored the only goal of the game, capitalizing on Issam Jebali's through ball to deliver a finish from the edge of the box after 29 minutes, against the run of play.

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Al Nassr's Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus acknowledged that his team had not been at their best in the opening 30 minutes, stating "We had prepared well but they were very fast and they surprised us."

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Jesus also noted that his team had dominated the game after the initial 30 minutes, but were unable to capitalize on their opportunities, with Gamba Osaka scoring from their only chance.

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Earlier in the week, Ronaldo had been denied a first Saudi Pro League title when Al Nassr goalkeeper Bento conceded a bizarre injury-time own goal, resulting in a 1-1 draw with Al Hilal.

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This draw had forced Ronaldo to wait longer for his first Saudi domestic title, and he would endure further disappointment just four days later.

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Ronaldo took to X to express his sentiments, writing "The dream is close" to his 107.5 million followers, and urging his team to stay focused, saying "Heads up, we have one more step to take! Thank you all for the amazing support tonight!".

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Al Nassr currently hold a two-point lead over Al Hilal with one game remaining, and can secure the title with a win at home to Damac on Thursday, while Al Hilal face Al Fayha away on the same night.

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Coach Jorge Jesus emphasized the importance of the upcoming Saudi Pro League title, stating "We didn’t get what we wanted here but there is one more final for us, the Saudi Pro League title, which is very important to us."

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Jesus also stressed the need for his team to quickly recover and prepare, saying "We have five days to recover and prepare and there is no time for grieving, we have to get going again."