Following Cristiano Ronaldo’s loss in the Saudi Super Cup final with Al-Nassr, the media has also tallied up 15 major defeats in his career. Among these 15 frustrating losses, Ronaldo has been thwarted twice each by Liverpool and Al-Nassr Riyadh.
Although throughout Ronaldo’s career, victories far outnumber defeats, some losses have left a lasting impression on him. Since joining Al-Nassr, he has yet to taste championship glory, which can be attributed to Al-Nassr Riyadh. Apart from the recent 1-4 defeat in the Super Cup final, last season in the league, Al-Nassr was also thoroughly beaten 3-0 by Al-Nassr Riyadh, watching helplessly as their rivals pulled away.
During his first stint at Manchester United, Ronaldo experienced several significant setbacks, including a 1-4 loss to Manchester City in the Manchester Derby in March 2004, a 1-4 defeat to Middlesbrough in October 2005, and despite scoring the opening goal for United, they ended up losing 1-4 to Liverpool in March 2009.
While playing for Real Madrid, Ronaldo also faced numerous setbacks, notably a 1-4 loss to Dortmund in the Champions League semi-final in April 2013. Additionally, in February and November 2015, he suffered 0-4 defeats against arch-rivals Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, which were major blows to his career. Moreover, in November 2010, Real Madrid lost 0-5 to Barcelona in El Clasico.
During his second spell at Manchester United, Ronaldo endured even more heavy defeats, including a 1-4 loss to Watford in November 2021, a 0-4 defeat to Brighton in May 2022, a 0-4 loss to Brentford in August 2022, and a 0-5 defeat to Liverpool in October 2021, marking the second time he was heavily defeated by Liverpool during his United career.
Additionally, in his international career, during the 2014 World Cup group stage, Portugal, led by Ronaldo, suffered a 0-4 defeat to Germany. In comparison, a 2-6 loss to Brazil in a friendly match in November 2008 did not leave such a lasting impression.