In a dramatic King’s Cup final in Jeddah, Cristiano Ronaldo was visibly emotional as Al-Nassr suffered a defeat to Al-Hilal, marking the end of their season without a trophy.
The intense match concluded with a 5-4 penalty shootout in favor of Al-Hilal after a 1-1 draw post-extra time.
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Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr in late 2022, was seen in distress on the pitch at King Abdullah Sports City.
Despite regaining his poise to accept his second-place medal, the chants of Lionel Messi’s name by opposing fans did little to brighten his spirits.
The disappointment followed closely on the heels of Al-Nassr’s second-place finish in the Saudi Pro League, trailing Al-Hilal by 14 points. Ronaldo’s record-breaking 35 goals in the season had been a highlight previously.
The final was marred by controversy, featuring two goals and three ejections. Aleksandar Mitrovic put Al-Hilal in the lead early on, and Al-Nassr’s situation worsened when their goalkeeper, David Ospina, received a red card for a handball offense.
Al-Hilal also faced a setback with Ali Al-Bulaihi’s dismissal for aggressive conduct towards Sami Al-Najei. However, Ayman Yahya’s header brought Al-Nassr back into the game.
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— Max Stéph (@maxstephh) June 1, 2024
The match saw another Al-Hilal player, Kalidou Koulibaly, sent off just before the end of regulation time.
The subsequent penalty shootout saw misses from both Ruben Neves of Al-Hilal and Alex Telles of Al-Nassr.
Ronaldo, having narrowly missed a goal with an acrobatic attempt earlier, scored his penalty.
Yet, it was Bounou, the Moroccan World Cup semi-finalist, who became the hero with two crucial saves, securing Al-Hilal’s 11th King’s Cup victory. Ronaldo and Al-Nassr now look ahead to the next season for redemption.
