Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr fail to qualify for AFC Champions League Elite after another frustrating season

• Al-Nassr cannot finish higher than third in this season’s Saudi Pro League
• Without Cristiano Ronaldo, Al-Nassr drew 1-1 with Al-Taawoun on Friday
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By ROBERT SUMMERSCALES

Published: 15:23 BST, 17 May 2025 | Updated: 15:26 BST, 17 May 2025

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr side have failed to qualify for next season’s edition of the AFC Champions League Elite.

A 1-1 draw at home to Al-Taawoun on Friday night left Al-Nassr fourth in the Saudi Pro League and unable to finish in the top two.

Ronaldo did not play against Al-Taawoun, having also been rested for the 9-0 win over Al-Okhdood on Monday.

With Al-Nassr missing out on Champions League Elite qualification, Saudi Arabia will instead be represented in Asia’s top club tournament next season by Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli.

Al-Ittihad have qualified as champions of Saudi Arabia, while Al-Hilal are all-but guaranteed to finish in second place.

Roberto Firmino’s Al-Ahli will take the other spot, despite currently sitting below Al-Nassr in the Pro League table. That is because Al-Ahli won the 2024-25 edition of the AFC Champions League earlier this month by beating Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale in the final. Kawasaki had earlier knocked out Al-Nassr in the semi-finals.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr side have failed to qualify for the AFC Champions League Elite 

Al-Nassr reached the semi-finals of this season’s Champions League Elite but the Saudi Pro League outfit will not be able to compete in the next edition of the tournament

Ronaldo netted eight goals in this season’s AFC Champions League elite — only Salem Al-Dawsari, Jasir Asani and Al-Ahli’s Riyad Mahrez scored more.

Al-Nassr could yet qualify for next season’s AFC Champions League Two — Asia’s answer to the Europa League — if they finish third in the Pro League and Al-Ittihad beat Al-Qadsiah in the King’s Cup final later this month.

While Ronaldo is set to end the current campaign without adding to his impressive career haul of team trophies, the 40-year-old former Real Madrid and Manchester United star is leading the race for the Saudi Pro League’s Golden Boot.

With two rounds of fixtures remaining, Ronaldo has 23 goals to his name, placing him two ahead of Karim Benzema and Abderrazak Hamdallah, while Ivan Toney also remains in contention with 20.

Ronaldo has now fallen short with Al-Nassr in three Saudi Pro League title races.

The only team title he has won since moving to the Middle East at the start of 2023 is the Arab Club Champions Cup — a 16-team tournament featuring entrants from Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Kuwait, Libya and the UAE.

Ronaldo’s time in Saudi Arabia could be set to come to an end this summer, with the Portugal captain’s current Al-Nassr contract due to expire next month.

However, Al-Nassr are keen to keep him, while a move to another Saudi side also remains a possibility.

Ronaldo, 40, scored eight goals in the Champions League Elite during the 2024-25 campaign

With his contract due to expire next month, Ronaldo’s time in Saudi Arabia could soon be over

Ronaldo is said to earn £164million per year at Al-Nassr, who picked him up on a free transfer shortly after Man United tore up his contract in late 2022. 

If he is to leave Al-Nassr this summer, Ronaldo will hope to first hit the 100-goal landmark for the Riyadh outfit.

To date, he has scored 97 goals in 109 appearances for Al-Nassr.

His all-time tally of club goals currently stands at 798 in 1,058 games, while he has netted 934 career goals in total after adding in his record-breaking international haul.

Al-Nassr’s two remaining games this season are at home to Al-Khaleej on Wednesday, followed by a trip to Al Fateh five days later.

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Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr fail to qualify for AFC Champions League Elite after another frustrating season

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