Cristiano's Coronation: How Ronaldo drove Al Nassr to title glory | OneFootball

"This means so much to us", proclaimed the post, the first public recognition from Cristiano Ronaldo of his crowning moment.

How Ronaldo had the energy to even summon such sentiment was impressive, given everything that had just gone before. Given everything that had transpired since his trailblazing transfer to Saudi Arabia three-and-a-half years previously.

But, this time, it was his.

Time is what the Al Nassr captain appeared to be running out of. Time was what ticked so slowly in that supposedly seminal Capital Derby a week removed, when Ronaldo and Al Nassr were seconds away from sealing their long-awaited Roshn Saudi League title.

Then Bento and Inigo Martinez collided, and Ronaldo departed Al Awwal Park, like the rest of the 26,000-plus in attendance and the millions tuning in around the world, in disbelief.

Maybe the man who helped set in motion this unprecedented revamp of the Saudi Arabian top flight would never have its ultimate prize.

But, on Thursday night and enveloped by another sell-out stadium, Ronaldo did it. Not just in leading Al Nassr to glory, as skipper and unrivalled superstar, but he struck their third and fourth goals in the 4-1, title-taking victory at home to Damac.

After the fourth, Al Awwal Park became a sea of celebration; in fact, from there until when Ronaldo was serenaded - “Ronaaaaaaaaaldo! Ronaaaaaaaaaldo!” - on to the pitch, then the plinth, and was presented the trophy.

The most famous No.7 in world football had snapped Al Nassr’s seven-year drought.

In the deluge of outpouring emotion, the tears flowed. To be fair, they had already, when Ronaldo embroidered his dipping free-kicked goal with his second notch of the night, Al Nassr’s fourth.

The realisation washing over that he was finally going to do it, Ronaldo emerged from underneath his joyous teammates in the far corner, kissed the club badge in front of the Al Nassr faithful and, tears streaming down his face, struggled to regain his composure.

He looked to partner Georgina up high the stands, and his young children there too, and held a heart sign with his hands.

What has been clear, certainly increasingly in the past couple of seasons, is Ronaldo and his family’s buy-in, their love of Al Nassr and life in Saudi Arabia. They have embraced the Kingdom as much as it has them.

Ronaldo has declared numerous times that "I am Saudi now" even if next month he has a record sixth FIFA World Cup with Portugal to contest. At various times, he has transported the traditional Ardah dance across the world.

On Thursday, peering down at Ronaldo’s reverie, Georgina sang along to the words of the Al Nassr club anthem. Not long after, Ronaldo had pitched up inside the home six-yard box, accepted the giant drum from the fan ultras behind the lefthand goal, and led the club’s now-customary victory thunderclap.

Like he has done for the best part of three-and-a-half years, and while there have been ups and downs - this season as well - Ronaldo had the Nassrawi marching to his beat.

OK, the campaign may not have brought with it a record-equalling third successive golden boot, but Ronaldo’s contribution was crucial still.

Aside from the leadership, evidenced once more in the pre-match huddle against Damac when he corralled his colleagues to provide one final push, football’s man for the moment offered plenty of his own through the 2025-26 RSL.

The composure and the conversion of a penalty 14 minutes into injury-time to snatch three points against Al Fayha, when even he - even Ronaldo - conceded "today my heart beat a little faster than before".

The overhead-kick against Al Khaleej, which could earn a second consecutive Goal of the Season nod. The nine-game scoring streak from September to December, packed with 12 goals, that propelled Al Nassr to a record start in the RSL.

The sumptuous header that broke the deadlock with championship challengers Al Ahli and catapulted Al Nassr to the cusp of their coronation. The 2-0 win saw the club hit 1,000 goals in the Saudi Pro League era; Ronaldo had accounted for just about 10 percent of them.

The predatory finish at Al Shabab, which elevated him to 100 RSL goals, only the third player to do so in the Saudi Pro League era. He’d gotten there in just 105 games.

No doubt, Ronaldo has been complemented considerably by those around him. Jorge Jesus, a manager who’d done it already, albeit with Riyadh rivals Al Hilal. Joao Felix, his Portugal teammate with 33 goal contributions in a stunning debut campaign, later voted 2025-26 SPL Player of the Season.

Kinglsey Coman, another summer signing who came good. Likewise, Martinez, who together with Mohamed Simakan, Abdulelah Al Amri and Bento made Al Nassr impossible to beat in 30 of 34 matches.

Nawaf Boushal, nominally one of that backline, created an incredible connection with Ronaldo, too. Sadio Mane, who followed to the Kingdom not long after Ronaldo, in the summer of 2023, opened the scoring against Damac to release the pressure valve. And there have been others, also.

Last June, when Ronaldo penned a new two-year contract at Al Nassr, he trumpeted that "I believe I will be champion in Saudi Arabia". On Thursday, he delivered on that. Deservedly drinking it all in, it felt apt when Ronaldo confirmed the title triumph "means so much to us".

Al Nassr’s support, and everyone connected to the club through the trials and tribulations of the past few seasons, would for sure say the same of him.