Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr miss out on Saudi league title as Al-Ittihad are crowned champions
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Published 27/05/2023 at 21:49 GMT
It wasn't a great night for Cristiano Ronaldo as the Portuguese legend saw his European goalscoring record broken by long-time rival Lionel Messi almost at the same moment that his Saudi league team Al-Nassr officially lost the title race to new Saudi champions Al-Ittihad. Ronaldo joined the Saudi club on January 1, and has been largely successful after scoring 14 goals in 18 appearances.
Highlights Cristiano Ronaldo scores as Al Nassr win closes gap on Saudi league leaders
Cristiano Ronaldo's Saudi Pro League team Al-Nassr must officially settle for second place after Al-Ittihad were crowned champions on Saturday evening.
Ronaldo's team trail the new champions by five points with only one match left to play. Al-Nassr drew with Ettifaq 1-1, while Al-Ittihad confirmed their title win with a 3-0 win over Al Feiha.
The Portuguese was substituted midway through the must-win match against Ettifaq with physical discomfort.
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Highlights Cristiano Ronaldo scores as Al Nassr win closes gap on Saudi league leaders
Having only joined the league in January, Ronaldo managed a creditable 14 goals but could not guide his new team to a first title in four years.
The Portuguese's arrival was much-heralded and followed the rather abrupt end to his Manchester United career. Ronaldo's second spell in Manchester ended after a public spat with manager Erik ten Hag.
Almost at the same moment that Ronaldo's Saudi Pro League title dreams were crumbling, a little piece of his legacy in Europe went too.
Lionel Messi, Ronaldo's eternal rival, overhauled his record for the most goals scored across Europe's top five leagues with his 496th career league goal for PSG against Strasbourg.
Messi was also crowned champion of France as the draw with Strasbourg was enough to build an insurmountable lead over runners-up Lens with one match to play.
It completes a banner 12 months for Messi, who adds the French title to the World Cup and Finalissima titles he won with Argentina.
In yet another reverse for Ronaldo, French outlet Foot Mercato reported on Saturday that his desired appointment of Zinedine Zidane as new manager of Al-Nassr will not be going ahead. Despite a two-year €150M contract, Zidane has reportedly decided that the Saudi Pro League will not be the next step in his managerial career.
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