Cristiano Ronaldo Refuses Runners-Up Medal After Al Nassr FC Lose AFC Champions League 2 Final

Cristiano Ronaldo walked straight down the tunnel without collecting his runners-up medal.

After Al Nassr FC suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat to Gamba Osaka in the AFC Champions League Two final on Saturday night.

A first-half strike from Deniz Hümmet proved decisive at Al-Awwal Park, handing Gamba Osaka the continental title and extending Ronaldo’s wait for his first major trophy with Al-Nassr since joining the Saudi club in 2023.

Moments after the final whistle, Ronaldo was seen leaving the pitch alone instead of joining his teammates for the medal ceremony. While Al-Nassr head coach Jorge Jesus accompanied the squad to collect their silver medals, the Portuguese superstar headed directly to the dressing room.

Despite dominating possession and creating several opportunities, Al-Nassr were repeatedly denied by Gamba Osaka’s teenage goalkeeper Rui Araki, who delivered a standout performance in goal.

The Saudi side started brightly, with Abdulrahman Ghareeb forcing an early save before Sadio Mané fired into the side-netting as Al-Nassr pushed aggressively for the opener.

However, Gamba Osaka struck against the run of play in the 30th minute when Hümmet latched onto a precise through ball from Issam Jebali and calmly slotted past goalkeeper Bento Matheus Krepski.

Al-Nassr continued to threaten throughout the match, with Ronaldo heading narrowly wide before the break, while João Félix came closest to equalising in the second half after rattling the post from long range.

Late pressure from the Saudi side failed to produce a breakthrough as Gamba Osaka’s defence stood firm to secure a famous victory.

Although the continental disappointment continues Ronaldo’s frustrating wait for silverware in Saudi Arabia, Al-Nassr still remain in contention for the domestic league title and could yet end the season with a trophy.