Ronaldo clinches Saudi crown with brace

RIYADH — A trademark free-kick and a close-range finish, both in the final half-hour, sealed the win Al Nassr needed on the last night of the season, with Al Hilal finishing just two points behind. Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, who was without a major club trophy since winning Serie A with Juventus in 2020, arrived in the oil-rich desert kingdom to great acclaim in 2023, wept as he watched the final minutes from the bench. He adds the Saudi championship to his English, Spanish and Italian titles and five Champions League medals, AFP reported. Al Nassr took a 2-0 lead but were back to 2-1 before Ronaldo’s free-kick on 63 minutes evaded the goalkeeper and a forest of legs to find the far corner. He struck again nine minutes from time, receiving a cut-back on the edge of the six-yard box and smashing high into the net. Next up for the all-time leading men’s international goalscorer, with 143 goals, is a sixth crack at the World Cup after he was named in Portugal’s squad this week. Ronaldo opened the door to a series of big-money Saudi signings when he joined Al Nassr in January 2023 following an unhappy second spell at Manchester United. Neymar and Karim Benzema were among those to follow after Ronaldo inked a two-and-a-half-year deal estimated at €200 million, extended for two years in June 2025. The post Ronaldo clinches Saudi crown with brace appeared first on Egyptian Gazette.