May 28, (THEWILL) – Cristiano Ronaldo’s pursuit of the Saudi Pro League title with Al-Nassr came to an end as Al-Ittihad were crowned champions, leaving Ronaldo’s team settling for second place.
With only one match remaining, Al-Nassr trails the new titleholders by five points. Despite a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Ettifaq, Al-Nassr’s hopes were shattered as Al-Ittihad secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Al Feiha to secure enough points to take the title.
Although Ronaldo has made a remarkable impact since joining the league in January, scoring an impressive 14 goals, he could not guide his new team to their first championship in four years. The Portuguese superstar’s aspirations were further dampened when he was substituted midway through the crucial match against Ettifaq due to physical discomfort.
As Ronaldo’s Saudi Pro League dreams faded, his long-standing rival Lionel Messi achieved a significant milestone of his own. As THEWILL reported, Messi surpassed Ronaldo’s record for the most goals scored across Europe’s top five leagues, reaching his 496th career league goal in Paris Saint-Germain’s tie against Strasbourg.
In yet another setback for Ronaldo, it was reported that his desired appointment of Zinedine Zidane as the new manager of Al-Nassr will not come to fruition. Despite a lucrative two-year €150M contract offer, Zidane has reportedly decided that the Saudi Pro League does not align with his managerial ambitions. Ronaldo had hoped for a reunion with the esteemed French coach, known for their successful partnership during their time together at Real Madrid.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
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