The Brazilians secured continental glory by defeating AS FAR Rabat in a two-legged final, a tie that carried enormous significance after a dramatic conclusion to their league season.
A 3-2 defeat to TS Galaxy in their final Betway Premiership fixture handed Orlando Pirates a major boost in the title race and left Sundowns' entire season resting on the outcome of the Champions League final.
Cardoso acknowledged that the club came close to ending the campaign empty-handed after suffering a series of cup disappointments.
Sundowns were eliminated from the MTN8 semi-finals by Orlando Pirates on penalties, while Marumo Gallants knocked them out of the Carling Knockout in the Round of 16, also via a shootout. Their Nedbank Cup journey ended in the Last 16 following a 2-0 defeat to TS Galaxy.
Despite those setbacks, Sundowns were crowned African champions for only the second time, with both continental titles arriving within a decade.
Cardoso conceded his side could have achieved more domestically but insisted their Champions League success outweighed any disappointment from the local cup competitions.
"I think we could've done more in terms of results, when you look back at the season, we have to understand we had difficult moments but I would like remind everybody that we lost two competitions on penalties, the first two cups we lost was on penalties," Cardoso said on The Pitchside Podcast.
"Our championship, I don't want to go deeper, because we know what happened throughout the season, how we were aggressed, played seven matches in 21 days, throughout those matches we lost players who could've kept us in the championship.
"But it's also important to look at the bright side of the moon, it's one championship we broke record after record last season, the records of the league are almost (all) in our hands, we have our names there.
"We have to be grateful of what God has given us and to finish with this thing that everybody pursued for ten years, is the sensation that we did something important.
"I don't know if it was (Khuliso) Mudau who said, 'As much as the championship can be won, there's nothing that takes the star out of your shirt'. The logos can change but the star will always be there."
TS Galaxy chairman Tim Sukazi has confirmed that Bernard Parker will remain in charge of the club for the 2026/27 Betway Premiership season after impressing during a brief spell as interim coach at the end of the previous campaign.
Stellenbosch are reportedly eager to bring back Ashley Du Preez from Kaizer Chiefs, after the forward struggled to make an impact in Soweto this past season.
Orlando Pirates assistant coach Mandla Ncikazi has cautioned that the club's achievements in the 2025/26 campaign will not help them fend off challengers to the throne next term.
Mamelodi Sundowns defender Grant Kekana admits the achievement of winning the CAF Champions League has not quite sunk in for the Pretoria outfit.
