In a dramatic King’s Cup final, Cristiano Ronaldo experienced a poignant moment as his Al-Nassr side was edged out by Al-Hilal following a tense penalty shootout, concluding 5-4 in favor of Al-Hilal after a 1-1 deadlock post-extra time in Jeddah.
Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr in late 2022, was visibly distraught, sinking to the turf in dismay, only to be lifted by the support of his teammates at the King Abdullah Sports City.
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The seasoned 39-year-old Portuguese star regained his composure to accept his second-place medal, yet the chants of “Messi” from the opposing fans did little to brighten his spirits as he descended the podium.
Amidst the crowd, Neymar, Messi’s ex-colleague at Barcelona and now part of Al-Hilal, couldn’t contain his amusement at the scene, chuckling as the crowd paid tribute to the emotional Ronaldo.
This defeat followed closely on the heels of a Saudi Pro League season that saw Al-Nassr secure second place, trailing Al-Hilal by 14 points, despite Ronaldo’s record-breaking 35 goals.
The final was marred by fervent play, resulting in two goals and a trio of ejections.
Aleksandar Mitrovic put Al-Hilal in front early on. Al-Nassr’s situation worsened when their keeper, David Ospina, received a red card for a handball infraction outside the box.
????????️ Neymar’s Reaction to Al Hilal fans chanting “Messi, Messi” ????
Priceless ❤️????
— ACE (fan) (@FCB_ACEE) June 1, 2024
Al-Hilal’s numbers were also diminished when Ali Al-Bulaihi was dismissed for a clash with Sami Al-Najei. Shortly after, Ayman Yahya’s header brought Al-Nassr level.
In the dying moments of regulation time, Al-Hilal’s Kalidou Koulibaly was sent off, leaving both teams depleted as they headed into extra time, which remained goalless.
The shootout saw misses from both Ruben Neves of Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr’s Alex Telles. Ronaldo, having grazed the woodwork with an acrobatic attempt earlier, successfully converted his shot.
However, it was Bounou, the Moroccan World Cup semi-finalist, who became the hero with two decisive saves, securing Al-Hilal’s 11th King’s Cup victory and leaving Ronaldo to look forward to the next season for redemption.
