Cristiano Ronaldo’s hopes of winning his first trophy since moving to the Middle East were dashed in the semi-final of the Saudi Super Cup. His team, Al-Nassr, were defeated 3-1 by Al-Ittihad at the King Fahd Stadium, thanks to a superb performance by Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad.

Al-Ittihad shone in every aspect of the game, particularly on the counter-attack, and took the lead through Romarinho’s excellent goal. Abderrazah Hamdallah then doubled Al-Ittihad’s advantage, leaving Ronaldo and his teammates stunned heading into halftime.

Although Al-Nassr managed to pull one back through Anderson Talisca in the second half, Al-Ittihad held strong and withstood the pressure before scoring another goal on the break. Muhannad Al-Shanqeeti sealed the win for Al-Ittihad with a goal in the 93rd minute, sending them through to the final on Sunday.

For Ronaldo, this defeat is a significant setback, as it is his first loss since joining Al-Nassr earlier this month. Despite a few opportunities to score, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner had a relatively quiet game, much like his debut match.

The final whistle blew, and Al-Ittihad progressed to the Saudi Super Cup final with a win over Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, with goals from Romarinho, Hamdallah, and Shaqueeti sealing the victory for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.