The King Cup Curse: Ronaldo’s Trophy Drought Deepens at Al Nassr

The King Cup for the 2025-2026 season has joined the long list of titles Ronaldo has not claimed since moving to Al Nassr.

Ronaldo joined Al Nassr in January 2023, just days after Portugal failed to win the World Cup for the first time in its history, following a loss to Morocco in the quarterfinals.

After that Morocco setback, Ronaldo walked off the Thumama Stadium in tears, his biggest football dream still out of reach, a moment etched in fans’ memories.

That moment has since resurfaced 13 times with the Saudi club, whether literally or figuratively, and the latest came last Tuesday when Al Nassr fell 1-2 to Al Ittihad in the King Cup round of 16.

Cup Curse

The King Cup has become Ronaldo’s most painful trophy with Al Nassr, tied with the Saudi Super Cup at four losses each.

His first season with the club, 2022-2023, saw a semi-final defeat to Al Wehda by a single goal.

In the following season, Ronaldo led the team to the King Cup final in 2023-2024, only to lose the title to rivals Al Hilal on penalties.

Last season, Al Nassr exited the competition in the quarterfinals after a 1-0 defeat to Al Taawoun.

Despite strong domestic and continental showings early this season, Ronaldo and Al Nassr again bowed out of the King Cup in the quarterfinals with a 1-2 defeat to Al Ittihad.

Saudi Super Cup Woes

The same script played out in the Saudi Super Cup, Ronaldo’s first trophy setback with Al Nassr, losing to Al Ittihad 1-3 in the semifinal in January 2023.

The following season saw another semifinal exit, this time to Al Hilal with a 1-2 scoreline.

The 2024 edition saw Al Nassr reach the final after a 2-0 semifinal win over Al Taawoun, only to be routed 1-4 by Al Hilal.

Finally, Ronaldo steered Al Nassr into the final of the most recent Saudi Super Cup in August, after beating Al Ittihad in the semi, but Al Ahli clinched the trophy on penalties after a 2-2 draw in normal and extra time.

No Asian Titles

Although Ronaldo has suffered more King Cup and Super Cup losses than any other title in his time with Al Nassr, the exit from the AFC Champions League was the tougher blow for the Portuguese ace and his teammates.

In 2023-2024, Al Nassr topped their AFC Champions League group with 14 points, beating Istiklol, Al Fayha, and others to reach the last 16 on a 3-0 aggregate win over their Saudi rival.

However, they could not progress beyond the quarterfinals, losing 0-1 away to Al Ain and then winning 4-3 in the return, only to bow out on penalties.

Last season, Al Nassr participated in the Elite Cup and reached the last 16 after finishing third in the league with 17 points; they defeated Istiklol Dushanbe 3-0 on aggregate to advance, then beat Yokohama Marinos 4-1 in the quarterfinals.

Yet the semifinal produced a shock as Ronaldo’s team fell 2-3 to Kawasaki Frontale, in a match noted for some odd moments as Ronaldo talked to himself after a missed chance.

Saudi League Curse

Ronaldo has lost the Saudi league title three times with Al Nassr. The first came in his debut season, 2022-2023, in a tight race with Al Ittihad that was decided in the final stretch.

Al Ittihad claimed the crown that year after a 14-year wait, finishing top with 72 points, five ahead of Al Nassr in second place.

The next season, 2023-2024, Ronaldo guided Al Nassr to the highest points tally in the club’s Saudi league history, yet it wasn’t enough to reclaim the title, which went to Al Hilal who finished on 96 points—a historic margin.

Last season, Al Nassr finished third with 70 points, 13 behind the champions Al Ittihad and five behind Al Hilal in second.

As a result of these outcomes, they failed to qualify for the current Elite version of the AFC Champions League, with qualification instead going to Ittihad, Hilal, and the title holder Al Ahli.

Season of Redemption?

Even after losing two titles at the start of this season, Ronaldo still has a chance to lead Al Nassr to two more crowns, the Saudi Pro League and the AFC Champions League 2.

Al Nassr sit top of the Saudi league after six rounds with 18 points, three ahead of Al Taawoun in second and four ahead of both Al Hilal and Al Qadsia.

The team remains the only one yet to drop a league point this season, boasting 21 goals for and only two conceded, while leading Group D in AFC Champions League 2 with 9 points after the first three matchdays, with a fourth win potentially sealing a last-16 spot and launching a historic push for AFC Champions League 2 glory for the club.

Punchline 1: Ronaldo still believes in glory, but the cup keeps borrowing his tears for the photos shoot. Punchline 2: If cups had frequent-flyer miles, Ronaldo would already be boarding for every continent with a yellow suitcase labeled finals, yet somehow the trophy stays on standby at home.