Ronaldo lost a staggering 14 titles since arriving at Saudi Arabia

It’s just not meant to be for Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia. A poor buildup for Al Nassr FC and Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of the match of the season in five days, when the Portuguese star will finally have a chance to win his first major trophy since arriving in Saudi Arabia. The final round of the Saudi Pro League season is scheduled for Thursday. The Riyadh club sits top of the table with a two-point advantage over Al Hilal SFC and has what appears to be a perfect opportunity at home against Damac FC. However, a defeat to Gamba Osaka in the final of the AFC Champions League Two (roughly the Asian equivalent of the UEFA Europa League) certainly cannot have a positive effect on a team that has been waiting six years for a league title.

The Japanese side won 1–0 away from home in the middle of Riyadh, with the decisive goal scored by Deniz Hummet in the 30th minute. As expected, immediately after the referee from Kuwait blew the final whistle, all cameras turned toward Cristiano Ronaldo. The reason is well known — once again, the Portuguese superstar failed to lift a trophy. Another title slipped through his fingers, despite having had the opportunity to win 14 major trophies since moving to the Middle East. After the final whistle, while the players of Gamba Osaka celebrated and organizers prepared the medal ceremony, Cristiano Ronaldo did not remain on the pitch. Without any interaction with the opposition, without congratulating the winners, and without attending the medal presentation, Ronaldo left the field immediately and headed straight to the dressing room, refusing even to accept the silver medal.

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That move created an awkward situation for the organizers and for his teammates from Al Nassr FC, who had to appear at the ceremony without the team’s biggest star. Head coach Jorge Jesus, who is set to leave the club at the end of the season, along with the rest of the squad, attempted to respect the protocol, but the absence of the captain was impossible to ignore. Naturally, reactions followed quickly. Social media soon exploded, with a large number of fans and analysts criticizing Ronaldo’s behavior as unsportsmanlike and inappropriate for a player of his stature.