Cristiano Ronaldo's pursuit of continental glory with Al-Nassr came to a disappointing end after the Saudi club were eliminated from the 2024–25 AFC Champions League Elite semifinals, following a dramatic 3-2 loss to Kawasaki Frontale on Tuesday in Jeddah.
The Japanese side took the lead early through Tatsuya Ito in the 10th minute, but Sadio Mané brought Al-Nassr level with a deflected shot midway through the first half. However, Kawasaki responded with two more goals from Yuto Ozeki and Akihiro Ienaga, pushing them to a commanding 3-1 lead. Although Aiman Yahya pulled one back for Al-Nassr in the 87th minute, it wasn’t enough.
Ronaldo had a golden opportunity to rescue his side in the final moments, but his late header was saved by Kawasaki goalkeeper Louis Yamaguchi, sealing the Japanese club’s first-ever berth in the AFC Champions League final.
Kawasaki will now face fellow Saudi side Al-Ahli, who previously knocked out Al-Hilal, in the tournament’s final scheduled for Saturday.
The result marks another frustrating campaign for Ronaldo, who has yet to win a major title with Al-Nassr since joining the club in late 2022.
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