Cristiano Ronaldo’s wait for a first major trophy since moving to Saudi Arabia goes on after his Al Nassr side was beaten 1-0 by Japan’s Gamba Osaka in the final of the AFC Champions League Two on Saturday.

Osaka scored with its only shot on target of the game, through Deniz Hümmet’s goal in the 29th minute. Despite dominating possession and shots at goal, Al Nassr failed to find an equalizer.

The defeat in Riyadh means Ronaldo has now lost four finals since joining Al Nassr in December 2022. His solitary final success came in the Arab Club Champions Cup, an unofficial competition, in 2023.

The latest setback came five days after Al Nassr was seconds away from winning the Saudi Pro League for the first time since 2019, only to concede in stoppage time and leave the title race to be decided on the final matchday on Thursday.

It was a frustrating night for the home side. Al Nassr created multiple openings in the first half but Osaka took the lead in the 30th minute. Hammat turned and fired a low shot into the bottom corner from just inside the area. After a lengthy VAR check for offside, the goal stood.

“I am happy to score and help the team and to do my best for this club,” said Hammat, who went off injured at halftime. “I was nervous watching in the second half but the most important thing is that we won and I am proud of my teammates. Now it is time to celebrate and enjoy.”

Osaka defended in numbers and with discipline, making it difficult for Al-Nassr’s star-studded attack to create clear chances.

Ronaldo, who joined the club in December 2022, came close to equalizing just before halftime but his close-range header from a João Félix cross sailed wide. Felix, who signed from Chelsea in July, went even closer with 13 minutes remaining, striking the post with a low shot from outside the area.

Despite the double disappointment this week, Al Nassr can still clinch the Saudi Pro League. It leads Al Hilal by two points heading into the final game against Damac on Thursday.

According to ‘Marca’, Real Madrid have already decided that Jose Mourinho will be the team’s new manager for the 2026–27 season. The official announcement could be made once La Liga has concluded.

The end of the season at Real Madrid has been rather turbulent. Having been ruled out of the title race, the club has faced one problem after another, both on and off the pitch.

It all came to a head a few days ago with Florentino Perez’s press conference, where the ‘Merengue’ president officially announced that elections would be held shortly, with a deadline for nominations set for 23rd May. One of the issues that will need to be addressed once the season is over is the position of head coach.

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Arbeloa’s departure seems all but certain, and a flurry of names has been circulating in the meantime. However, as ‘Marca’ reported on Friday, the decision appears to have already been made.

Real Madrid have chosen Jose Mourinho as their new manager for the 2026-27 season. The newspaper also suggests that the board, including the president, believe the Portuguese is the only one capable of restoring order and putting an end to the powder keg that is the Real Madrid dressing room at the moment. 

Everything suggests that the key date for the official announcement will be once La Liga concludes on 23rd May. The Portuguese manager could invoke a release clause to leave Benfica for around €3 million once he has played his final match with the Lisbon side.

Mourinho will have a say in the team’s sporting planning and will decide on both the departures and the signings he is interested in. Thirteen years on, the paths of the Portuguese manager and Real Madrid are about to cross once again. 

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Antoine Semenyo produced one of the great FA Cup final goals with an audacious back-flick that sealed Manchester City’s 1-0 win against Chelsea at Wembley on Saturday.

Semenyo illuminated a largely scrappy final late in the second half as he improvised a sublime finish to caress Erling Haaland’s cross into the net.

The Ghana winger’s moment of magic was enough to clinch City’s eighth FA Cup triumph and their second piece of silverware this season after the League Cup final win over Arsenal in March.

Semenyo joins Ricky Villa, Michael Owen, Roberto Di Matteo and Steven Gerrard among the ranks of iconic FA Cup final goalscorers.

Ironically, the 26-year-old – an inspired signing from Bournemouth in the January window – was born just a stone’s throw from Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge home in west London.

The third FA Cup success of Guardiola’s reign ended City‘s run of two successive defeats in the final against Crystal Palace and Manchester United.

Guardiola, who also lifted the trophy in 2023 and 2019, has now won 20 trophies in his glittering decade as City manager.

His attention will turn back to City’s slender hopes of making it 21 pieces of silverware with a miracle in the Premier League title race.

City, on a 21-game unbeaten domestic run, will be five points behind leaders Arsenal if the Gunners beat relegated Burnley at home on Monday.

Guardiola’s men can close the gap back to two points with a victory at Bournemouth in their penultimate match of the season on Tuesday.

But Arsenal would still guarantee their first English title since 2004 by winning at Palace on May 24. Ahead of his 24th trip to Wembley with City, Guardiola joked that he was “so disappointed” he has not had a stand named after him at the home of English football.

Whether he will be back with City remain a matter of conjecture. Uncertainty has swirled around Guardiola’s future all season and, with just one year left on his contract, the 55-year-old is yet to give an indication if he plans to stay or go at the end of this term.

If it is about to be the end of an era, Semenyo ensured Guardiola will leave with at least one more golden memory.

Knockout blow

For Chelsea, the loss was the latest blow in another turbulent campaign. Without a win in their last seven league games, they are languishing in ninth place with virtually no chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

Under interim boss Calum McFarlane, they produced a battling but ultimately impotent display that underlined why frustrated fans protested against owners BlueCo before kick-off and chanted “we want our Chelsea back”.

With Chelsea content to sit deep in their five-man defence, City dominated possession for long periods of the first half, but couldn’t make the breakthrough.

It was a cagey and often flat occasion, in keeping with two teams who have underachieved this season. Haaland fired wide from an acute angle after stealing possession on the edge of the Chelsea area.

Haaland threatened to prise open Chelsea’s well-drilled rearguard late in the first half, surging onto Marc Guehi’s pass for a stinging strike that Robert Sanchez saved at his near post.

Relying on only occasional counter-attacks, Chelsea felt aggrieved just before the interval when their penalty claim was rejected after Joao Pedro was bundled over by Abdukodir Khusanov.

Semenyo should have broken the deadlock immediately after the break, heading over from six yards after climbing to meet Nico O’Reilly’s cross.

Moises Caicedo’s header was nodded off the line by Rodri after City keeper James Trafford fumbled a corner. But City finally delivered the knockout blow in the 72nd minute.

Haaland made a clever run down the right-hand side of the Chelsea area and cut the ball back to Semenyo, who deftly back-heeled his supreme finish into the far corner from close range.

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