Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr suffers a heartbreaking defeat to Al Hilal in the Saudi King’s Cup final, ending the season without a trophy despite Ronaldo’s record-breaking performance.
Cristiano Ronaldo was in tears after his team, Al Nassr, lost the Saudi King’s Cup final to Al Hilal in a penalty shootout on Friday, ending the season without a trophy.
Al Hilal won 5-4 on penalties, securing the league and cup double after the match in Jeddah ended 1-1 in regulation time and extra time provided no winner.
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Following the defeat, Ronaldo sank to the turf, inconsolable, as teammates and coaching staff tried to comfort him. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was eventually led off the field, but he remained emotional as he sat on the sideline before collecting his runners-up medal.
The loss capped a frustrating season for Ronaldo. Al Nassr finished a distant second to Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League and were beaten in the quarterfinals of the Asian Champions League.
Ronaldo also faced a suspension in February for making an obscene gesture at Al Shabab fans who were chanting the name of his longstanding rival, Lionel Messi.
Despite these setbacks, the 39-year-old achieved numerous personal accolades. In his first full Saudi Pro League season, the Portuguese forward scored a record-breaking 35 goals. However, he could not prevent his side’s loss on Friday, even though he scored in the shootout.
Aleksandar Mitrovic put Al Hilal ahead in the seventh minute, but Aiman Yahya equalized in the 88th minute to send the game into extra time. The match saw three red cards: David Ospina for Al Nassr in the 57th minute, and Ali Al-Bulayhi and Kalidou Koulibaly for Al Hilal late in the game.
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Al Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was the hero, saving Al Nassr’s final two penalties to secure the trophy.
Al Hilal’s success came despite star Brazilian forward Neymar missing almost the entire season due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee in October, shortly after joining from Paris Saint-Germain. Although not on the field, Neymar was present on Friday to support his team from the stands.