Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr were denied their first Saudi Pro League title in seven years in devastating fashion following a catastrophic goalkeeping blunder from Bento deep into stoppage time. Victory against Al-Hilal in the Capital Derby would have secured Ronaldo's side their first championship since 2019, putting them beyond the reach of their title rivals.
Al-Nassr were ahead going into added time courtesy of Mohamed Simakan's first-half strike, with Jorge Jesus' men on the verge of ending their seven-year trophy drought. During the frantic closing stages of the match, tensions boiled over on the touchline between the two sides. A touchline melee broke out involving Al-Hilal defender Theo Hernandez, with both benches getting embroiled and Jesus' assistant coach receiving his marching orders.
The hosts remained in front at this stage and as Al-Hilal pressed forward for an equaliser, they launched a long throw into the penalty area. However, Bento charged out to punch the ball away but misjudged it completely. The Brazilian shot-stopper crashed into his own defender, and the ball fell into the back of the net in the 99th minute. The television cameras cut to Ronaldo on the substitutes' bench, having been withdrawn in the 83rd minute.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid icon could not conceal his frustration as he stormed down the tunnel following the final whistle. It means his quest for a league crown in Saudi Arabia goes on since joining the club in 2023. Victory would have handed Al-Nassr an unbeatable seven-point advantage at the summit, but the stalemate against Al-Hilal leaves the visitors trailing by five points, albeit with a game in hand over their title challengers.
The championship race could go right down to the wire when Al-Nassr face Damac, while Al-Hilal have a fixture against Neom this weekend before a showdown with Al-Fayha on the final day of the campaign. Despite his frustration at the late mistake, Ronaldo took to social media to post a rallying call following the match. The Portuguese icon said: "The dream is close. Heads up, we have one more step to take! Thank you all for the amazing support tonight!"
Ronaldo is yet to get his hands on Saudi Arabia's most coveted honour since his switch to Al-Nassr and the lack of silverware has attracted considerable attention. He was unable to get the better of his former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema, who clinched the title with Al-Ittihad 12 months ago. It marked the first occasion the two icons have faced off since the French forward's move to Al-Hilal - a transfer that prompted Ronaldo to down tools in protest against the club's owners, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.
The 41-year-old was reportedly disgruntled at the club's recruitment activity compared to their top-flight rivals, who are backed by the same fund. Upon his return, Ronaldo guided Al-Nassr to 17 victories from 19 matches, netting 26 Saudi Pro League goals along the way.
