This is Ronaldo's fourth consecutive defeat in the finals since joining Al-Nassr. Previously, the Saudi Arabian team had lost to Al-Hilal at the 2024 Saudi Arabia Super Cup, the 2024 Saudi Arabia King's Cup and the 2025 Saudi Arabia Super Cup.
Despite playing at home, Al-Nassr did not create an overwhelming game against the representative from Japan. The home team mainly deployed the ball on both wings but encountered many difficulties against Gamba Osaka's tight defense.
The turning point of the match came in the 30th minute when Deniz Hummet escaped the offside trap before finishing diagonally, scoring the only goal to help the Japanese team take the lead.
In the remainder of the match, Al-Nassr increased strong pressure. However, strikers like Sadio Mane and Joao Felix both missed regrettable opportunities. Ronaldo also had some dangerous situations, notably a header that went wide of the post at the end of the first half.
In the second half, Gamba Osaka actively retreated deep to defend to preserve the advantage. Al-Nassr controlled most of the ball possession and launched up to 19 shots but could not defeat the opponent's defense as well as the excellence of the away team's goalkeeper.
On the other hand, Gamba Osaka only needs one shot on target to win the AFC Champions League Two championship.
After this defeat, the risk of going empty-handed in the 2025-2026 season is present for Ronaldo and his teammates. In the Saudi Pro League, Al-Nassr must win against Damac in the final round if they want to compete for the championship. In case of equal points with Al-Hilal, Ronaldo's team is still behind due to poor head-to-head record.
