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Al-Nassr Out of Asian Champions League with Semifinal Loss to Kawasaki Frontale

Nassr's Portuguese forward #7 Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during the AFC Champions League semi-final match between Saudi's Al-Nassr and Japan's Kawasaki at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah on April 30, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Nassr's Portuguese forward #7 Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during the AFC Champions League semi-final match between Saudi's Al-Nassr and Japan's Kawasaki at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah on April 30, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
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Al-Nassr Out of Asian Champions League with Semifinal Loss to Kawasaki Frontale

Nassr's Portuguese forward #7 Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during the AFC Champions League semi-final match between Saudi's Al-Nassr and Japan's Kawasaki at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah on April 30, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Nassr's Portuguese forward #7 Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during the AFC Champions League semi-final match between Saudi's Al-Nassr and Japan's Kawasaki at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah on April 30, 2025. (Photo by AFP)

Cristiano Ronaldo’s wait for a major trophy in Saudi Arabia is set to continue after Al-Nassr lost 3-2 to Kawasaki Frontale in the Asian Champions League semifinals on Wednesday.
The 40-year-old Ronaldo, who signed for the Riyadh club in December 2022, had chances but failed to score against the team from Japan.
Kawasaki will face another Saudi team, Al-Ahli, in Saturday’s final with both teams bidding for a first continental title.
Kawasaki was ahead after just 10 minutes on a spectacular volley from Tatsuya Ito. Former Liverpool star Sadio Mane equalized for Al-Nassr before the half-hour mark.
Soon after, Ronaldo headed against the woodwork but it was Kawasaki which scored next, restoring its lead three minutes before the break through Yuto Ozeki.
Al-Nassr continued to attack but fell further behind after 76 minutes when Akihiro Ienaga scored from close range, The Associated Press reported.
Ayman Yahya cut the margin for Al-Nassr with three minutes remaining but despite Ronaldo and Jhon Duran going close, the Riyadh club couldn't get the equalizer.
In the quarterfinals last weekend, Ronaldo scored in Al-Nassr's comfortable win over Yokohama.
Two-time finalist Al-Ahli reached the final by beating fellow Saudi Pro League team Al-Hilal 3-1 on Tuesday.

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UEFA Warns Man United, Tottenham Fans about Unofficial Sales of Europa League Final Tickets

Manchester United's Casemiro celebrates with fans during the Europa League semifinal second leg soccer match between Manchester United and Athletic Bilbao in Manchester, Britain, Thursday, May 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
Manchester United's Casemiro celebrates with fans during the Europa League semifinal second leg soccer match between Manchester United and Athletic Bilbao in Manchester, Britain, Thursday, May 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
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UEFA Warns Man United, Tottenham Fans about Unofficial Sales of Europa League Final Tickets

Manchester United's Casemiro celebrates with fans during the Europa League semifinal second leg soccer match between Manchester United and Athletic Bilbao in Manchester, Britain, Thursday, May 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
Manchester United's Casemiro celebrates with fans during the Europa League semifinal second leg soccer match between Manchester United and Athletic Bilbao in Manchester, Britain, Thursday, May 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)

With tens of thousands of fans of Manchester United and Tottenham expected in Bilbao this week for the Europa League final, UEFA warned them Monday about buying unauthorized tickets which should not get them into the stadium.

Both clubs, which have huge fan bases, were each allocated 15,000 tickets in the 50,000-capacity venue with some priced at just 40 euros ($45). Those numbers are typical for a Europa League final.

Prices in the thousands of euros (dollars) have been demanded on secondary ticketing websites and UEFA said buyers could be refused entry Wednesday at Athletic Bilbao’s stadium, The AP news reported.

“Such tickets may be canceled by UEFA at any time and fans are likely to be refused entry or be ejected from the stadium,” the European soccer body said in a statement.

“In addition, fans may not receive the tickets which they have purchased from these unauthorized third parties,” UEFA said, specifying “websites, agencies, touts” as problematic sellers.

UEFA also sold about 11,000 tickets in a global sale through its website and nearly 9,000 were retained for sponsors, broadcasters, European soccer federations and guests.

All tickets were distributed digitally with security features in a UEFA ticketing app for cellphones designed to prevent the buyer transferring them.

“Only the phone used to download the mobile tickets will be able to access the stadium,” UEFA warned. “Screenshots of mobile tickets are not valid tickets.”

UEFA typically chooses venues for European club competition finals at least two years in advance, and has long faced criticism it regards as unrealistic for not switching stadiums to suit the two teams. Those teams advance through semifinals played just two or three weeks before the final.

Bilbao was allocated the Europa League final in July 2021 as part of a compensation package for the city being dropped by UEFA as a host for the men’s European Championship played that summer one year late because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In April 2021, UEFA replaced Bilbao with Seville because the city could not give UEFA guarantees on how many spectators would be able to attend games due to public health rules during the pandemic.

Bilbao was picked as a Euro host in 2014 when the most senior Spanish official in soccer was Angel Maria Villar, then a FIFA and UEFA vice president and a native of the Basque city.

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