A bizarre stoppage-time own goal from goalkeeper Bent cost Al Nasr a 1-0 home victory over rivals Al Hilal, denying them victory for the title.
Published May 13, 2026
Cristiano Ronaldo and his Al Nasr teammates were left frustrated when goalkeeper Bent scored an own goal in stoppage time, denying the club their first Saudi Professional League title in seven years.
Riyadh-based club Al Nasr were leading 1-0 and seconds away from defeating local rivals Al Hilal, who finished second in the league, when Bent made a failed overhead save in Tuesday’s much-anticipated match, sending the ball into their own net.
Victory would seal Al Nasr’s 11th league title and the Portuguese superstar’s first since joining the club in January 2023.
Al Nasr lead the league with 83 points from 33 games, while Al Hilal are second with 78 points from 32 games. Al Nasr captain Ronaldo was pictured looking frustrated on the bench after his Brazilian goalkeeper scored the equalizer.
The 41-year-old football icon has not won a domestic title with Al Nasr since his then-record-breaking move from Manchester United after the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Al Nasr’s last league title was in 2019, while Al Hilal won the league in 2024.
Home team fans were given free team shirts at the start of the game, and the stands were a sea of yellow in hopes of winning the title.
Barring a shocking result against 15th place Damak in the final league match, Al Nasr are the favorites to win the league on May 21st.
“The dream is near,” Ronaldo told his more than 770 million followers in a post-match social media post.
