E-Paper
Who won 2025 Saudi Super Cup final? Al Ahli triumphs over Al Nassr on penalties, Ronaldo remains trophyless again
Al Ahli triumphed over Al Nassr 5–3 on penalties after a thrilling 2–2 draw in the Saudi Super Cup final in Hong Kong.
Al Ahli vs Al Nassr: After an exciting 2–2 draw on Saturday, in which Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 100th goal for the losing team, Al Ahli defeated Al Nassr 5–3 on penalties to secure victory in the Saudi Super Cup final in Hong Kong.
Following Ali Majrashi's handball penalty, Portugal forward Ronaldo, 40, reached the milestone by opening the score from the penalty spot in the 40th minute.
In the first half, Franck Kessie of Al Ahli, the winners of this year's Asian Champions League, reacted with a well-placed pass from new addition Enzo Millot, finishing low past Al Nassr keeper Bento.
In the second half, as both teams tried to win, Ronaldo put Edouard Mendy to the test with a strong shot before Firas Al-Buraikan hit the crossbar.
In the 82nd minute, Marcelo Brozovic took advantage of a poor clearance and fired home from within the box to give Al Nassr the lead again.
After Bento mishandled the ball, Roger Ibanez headed in a Riyad Mahrez corner to give Al Ahli another equalizer in the 89th minute.
The Jeddah-based team won their second Saudi Super Cup when Al Ahli scored all five of the penalties in the shootout and Al Nassr missed one despite Ronaldo converting his spot kick.
Cristiano Ronaldo seemed frustrated as Al-Nassr lost trophy
After Al Nassr fell to Al Ahli on penalties in the Saudi Super Cup final, Cristiano Ronaldo seemed really frustrated. Ronaldo lost for the third consecutive year as Al Nassr failed to finish the match after leading twice in the encounter.
Ronaldo has made it to three finals during his stint at Al Nassr, but he has lost each time. He lost against Al Hilal in the 2023–24 King’s Cup and the 2024 Saudi Super Cup, while Al Ahli won the 2025 Saudi Super Cup final.
Ronaldo's barren record at the club level started more than four years ago, which is even more painful. In May of 2021, he and Juventus defeated Atalanta in the Coppa Italia 2020–21 final.
Ronaldo began his playing career at Sporting Lisbon and he later played for Real Madrid, Manchester United, Juventus, and currently for Al Nassr. He played in 346 games over his two stints with United, scoring 145 goals overall. During his 438 appearances for Real Madrid, he scored 450 goals. Ronaldo went on his goal-scoring rampage after joining Juventus, leading the team to victory in Serie A with 101 goals in 134 games. He fell short of Sporting CP's 100-point milestone.
