Al Ain rout Al Nassr 4-0 in Ronaldo's heaviest club defeat

Al Ain delivered a commanding 4-0 victory over Al Nassr in their opening AFC Champions League Elite match on September 15, 2026, marking Cristiano Ronaldo's heaviest defeat since joining the Saudi club. The result at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in the United Arab Emirates left Al Nassr without a point after the first round of the group stage. Houssine Rahimi opened the scoring in the 25th minute after capitalizing on a defensive error. He doubled the lead in the 63rd minute following a VAR review. Soufiane Rahimi extended the advantage to 3-0 in the 72nd minute, and Giorgos Giakoumakis completed the rout in the 84th minute. The defeat surpasses Ronaldo's previous worst losses at Al Nassr, which were by three-goal margins. It is the largest margin of defeat he has suffered since arriving at the club in January 2023. Ronaldo, who started alongside new signing João Félix, was unable to prevent the comprehensive loss and had a late free kick saved by goalkeeper Khalid Eisa. Late in the match, Ronaldo was involved in a physical altercation with Al Ain's Matías Palacios.