Cristiano Ronaldo was left in tears after Al-Nassr’s heartbreaking defeat to Al-Hilal on penalties in the 2024 Saudi King’s Cup final.
In a tense and dramatic match held on May 31 at King Abdullah Sports City, Al-Hilal clinched the King’s Cup title with a 5-4 victory on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regular and extra time. Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr in December 2022, was visibly distraught as his team ended the season without a trophy, despite his record-breaking 35 league goals.
The match saw Al-Hilal’s Aleksandar Mitrovic score an early goal in the seventh minute.The situation worsened for Al-Nassr when the referee sent off their goalkeeper David Ospina for handling the ball outside the area early in the second half. Al-Hilal also faced a setback with Ali Al-Bulaihi receiving a red card for headbutting Sami Al-Najei in the 86th minute. Moments later, Ayman Yahya equalized for Al-Nassr with a header.
In the 91st minute, the referee sent off Al-Hilal’s Kalidou Coulibaly after he received a second yellow card, reducing them to nine men. Despite the numerical advantage, Al-Nassr couldn’t capitalize, and the match went to a penalty shootout.
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Ronaldo, who had earlier hit the post with a spectacular overhead kick, successfully converted his penalty. However, Al-Hilal’s goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, a standout performer from Morocco’s 2022 World Cup campaign, made crucial saves against Ali Al-Hassan and Al-Nemer, securing Al-Hilal’s 11th King’s Cup triumph.
This defeat came just four days after Al-Nassr finished second in the Saudi Pro League, 14 points behind Al-Hilal. Ronaldo’s emotional reaction reflected the disappointment of a trophyless season for Al-Nassr, despite his individual brilliance. The team and their star player will now look towards the next season for redemption.
