In a dramatic King’s Cup final, Cristiano Ronaldo was left in tears as Al Nassr suffered a heart-wrenching defeat to Al Hilal in a penalty shootout. The intense match, held at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah on June 1, 2024, saw Al Hilal emerge victorious, claiming their 11th King’s Cup title.
The final, which ended 1-1 after 120 minutes, was a tempestuous affair marked by three red cards and relentless action. Al Hilal’s Aleksandar Mitrovic opened the scoring with a header just seven minutes into the match. Al Nassr faced a significant setback early in the second half when their goalkeeper, David Ospina, was sent off for handling the ball outside the area.
Despite being a man down, Al Nassr managed to level the score in the 86th minute when Ayman Yahya headed in a goal. Al Hilal’s Ali Al Bulaihi had been red-carded moments earlier for an apparent headbutt, evening the playing field. Tensions continued to rise as Hilal’s Kalidou Koulibaly received a second yellow card in the 91st minute, reducing his team to nine players.
With the score tied and no goals in extra time, the match proceeded to a penalty shootout. Al Hilal triumphed 5-4, with Yassine Bounou, the Moroccan World Cup hero, making crucial saves. Ronaldo, who had earlier hit the post with a spectacular overhead kick, successfully converted his penalty but could only watch as his teammates faltered under pressure.
This defeat marks another missed opportunity for Ronaldo to secure a major trophy with Al Nassr since joining the club in January 2023. His only silverware with the team remains the Arab Club Champions Cup won in August last year. The Portuguese forward, who set a new Saudi Pro League record this season with 35 goals, was consoled by his teammates as he fell to the ground in despair after the final whistle.
Al Hilal’s victory in the King’s Cup final caps off a remarkable season, having also clinched the Saudi Pro League title with an unbeaten record. In contrast, Al Nassr’s season ended in disappointment, having also been knocked out of the Asian Champions League quarter-finals by Al Ain.
As the dust settles on a thrilling and emotional final, Ronaldo and Al Nassr will be left to regroup and set their sights on the next season, hoping to finally break their trophy drought.
