Cristiano Ronaldo’s hopes of winning the Saudi Pro League suffered a dramatic setback after Al Nassr conceded a stoppage-time equaliser in a tense 1-1 draw against rivals Al Hilal.
The Riyadh club appeared on course for a crucial victory that would have tightened their grip on the league title before a costly late defensive error changed the outcome.
Al Nassr took the lead through defender Mohamed Simakan and controlled large periods of the match, with Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and Joao Felix leading the attack in front of a packed home crowd.
However, disaster struck deep into stoppage time when goalkeeper Bento failed to deal with a throw-in delivery, accidentally pushing the ball into his own net after colliding with teammate Inigo Martinez.
The late equaliser denied Al Nassr a victory that could have brought Ronaldo closer to his first Saudi league title since joining the club in 2022.
A visibly frustrated Ronaldo, who had already been substituted before the closing moments, was seen reacting in disbelief on the bench after the final whistle.
The draw keeps the Saudi title race alive, with Al Hilal still maintaining pressure in the closing stretch of the season after recently winning the Saudi King’s Cup under coach Simone Inzaghi.
