Cristiano Ronaldo's First Season in Saudi Arabia Ends Without League Title as Al Nassr Falls Short

 Cristiano Ronaldo's debut season in Saudi Arabia with Al Nassr has concluded without a league trophy as his team finished in second place, behind Al Ittihad, in the penultimate round of the competition.

After joining Al Nassr in Riyadh in January following his departure from Manchester United, Ronaldo's side had to settle for second place in the 16-team Saudi Arabian league. Al Nassr's 1-1 draw with Ettifaq on Saturday confirmed Al Ittihad's league title with a five-point lead, securing their first championship since 2009.

Although Al Nassr dominated the game in Dammam, they fell behind just before halftime when Youssef Niakate scored for Ettifaq from close range. Al Nassr managed to level the score through a fierce shot from former Bayern Munich midfielder Luiz Gustavo in the 56th minute.

Ronaldo, who has scored 14 goals in 16 league games since his arrival, couldn't find the winning goal this time. Additionally, Gustavo had a second-half strike disallowed for offside with 10 minutes remaining.

Meanwhile, Al Ittihad claimed an easy victory with two goals from Brazilian forward Romarinho and an early strike from Ahmed Sharahili. Led by former Wolverhampton and Tottenham manager Nuno Espirito Santo, Al Ittihad secured their ninth league title overall. Santo expressed his gratitude to the players and fans for their support throughout the season, acknowledging their hard work and the significance of an early goal that helped them settle into the game.

Defending champions Al Hilal finished in third place after a 3-0 win against Abha.

While Al Hilal recently won the main football cup in Saudi Arabia by defeating Al Wehda on penalties in the final, Al Wehda had previously eliminated Al Nassr in the semifinals of the tournament.