Riyadh, May 28 -- Cristiano Ronaldo's first season in Saudi Arabia will end without a trophy as his Al Nassr team was beaten to the league title by Al Ittihad in the penultimate round on Saturday.

Ronaldo arrived in Riyadh in January after being released from his contract by English Premier League powerhouse Manchester United and had to settle for second place in the 16-team Saudi Arabian league. Al Nassr's 1-1 draw with Ettifaq meant that Al Ittihad's 3-0 win at Al Feiha gave the team from Jeddah a five-point lead with one game remaining and its first league title since 2009.

Al Nassr dominated in the eastern city of Dammam but fell behind just before the break as Youssef Niakate scored for Ettifaq from close range. A fierce shot from ...