Cristiano Ronaldo on Saturday steered 10-man Al-Nassr to an unprecedented triumph in the Arab Club Champions Cup, securing a 2-1 victory in extra time against fellow Saudi contenders Al-Hilal.

After a season without silverware following his transfer to Al-Nassr, Ronaldo, at 38 years old, showcased his prowess by netting two crucial goals during extra time. These goals propelled him to the pinnacle of the tournament’s scorers’ chart, having found the back of the net six times throughout the competition, ultimately leading his team to seize the championship title.

The Arab Club Champions Cup engages the region’s premier Arab clubs in a fiercely competitive tournament, featuring prominent teams hailing from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria.

The star-studded Al-Nassr ensemble, including recent acquisitions Sadio Mane, Seko Fofana, and Marcelo Brozovic, relentlessly pressed for goals in the opening half. Nevertheless, their efforts were thwarted by the agile maneuvers of goalkeeper Mohammed Alowais.

The contest at King Fahd Sports City stadium remained deadlocked until the sixth minute of the second half, when a precise cross from Al-Hilal’s Malcom found the Brazilian counterpart Michael. The latter executed a flawless header, propelling his side into the lead.

To compound the setback, Michael celebrated with the iconic Ronaldo goal gesture, enhancing the frustration for Al-Nassr. This turn of events seemed to ignite a fire within Ronaldo. The Portugal captain responded with an equalizer in the 74th minute, capitalizing on a well-timed delivery from right-back Sultan Al-Ghannam. This marked Ronaldo’s fifth consecutive goal in as many games.

During the second half, Al-Nassr defender Abdulelah Al-Amri was sent off, later followed by Nawaf Boushal, who received his marching orders from the bench for a dispute with an official. Despite these setbacks, Al-Nassr resiliently held their ground, pushing the match into extra time.

Ronaldo continued his heroics in the first half of extra time, capitalizing on a rebound off the crossbar and deftly heading the ball into the net with the goalkeeper out of position.

However, a moment of concern arose when Ronaldo was forced to exit the field due to an apparent injury following a collision in the latter half of extra time—merely two days before their Saudi Pro League kickoff against Al-Ettifaq.