Al-Nassr’s hopes of securing the Saudi Pro League title were postponed on Tuesday after a 1-1 draw against rivals Al-Hilal at Alawwal Park in Riyadh. The result leaves Cristiano Ronaldo and his team still waiting for their first championship in Saudi Arabia.
The match, part of the 33rd round, saw Al-Nassr take the lead in the first half. In the 37th minute, French defender Mohamed Simakan capitalized on a loose ball from a corner kick to score. However, deep into second-half stoppage time, Brazilian goalkeeper Bento—who could be called up by Carlo Ancelotti for the World Cup—made a costly error. He rushed out poorly from a throw-in, collided with a teammate, and gifted Al-Hilal the equalizer.
With this result, Al-Nassr moved to 83 points, while Al-Hilal remains at 78 points. With one game in hand and a five-point gap, Al-Hilal still has a slim chance to overtake their rivals for the title. The own goal by Bento silenced the home crowd, which had already begun celebrating what would have been Al-Nassr’s tenth Saudi league title. After the final whistle, Ronaldo showed visible frustration and disappointment over the late goal conceded.
This season, Ronaldo leads Al-Nassr’s scoring charts with 26 goals. However, he sits third in the race for the Golden Boot, trailing Colombian Julián Andrés Quiñones of Al-Quadisiya (29 goals) and Englishman Ivan Toney of Al-Ahli (31 goals).
Once the Saudi league season concludes, the 41-year-old forward will shift his focus to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He will aim to lead Portugal to their first-ever world title. Portugal has been drawn into Group K alongside Uzbekistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Colombia. The Portuguese team will open their campaign against Congo on June 17 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
