Cristiano Ronaldo experienced a wave of emotions as his team, Al Nassr, suffered a heartbreaking loss to Al Hilal in the Saudi King’s Cup final. Despite a valiant effort, Al Hilal emerged victorious in a penalty shootout, securing the league and cup double. Ronaldo, visibly devastated, was consoled by his teammates and coaching staff as he sat on the sideline in tears. Eventually, he collected his runners-up medal, but the disappointment lingered.
This defeat adds to the frustration of Al Nassr’s season, as they finished second in the Saudi Pro League and were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Asian Champions League. Ronaldo himself faced a suspension earlier in the season for an inappropriate gesture towards Al Shabab fans. However, he did achieve personal success by scoring a remarkable 35 goals in his first full season in the Saudi Pro League.
In the final, Al Hilal took an early lead through Aleksandar Mitrovic, but Aiman Yahya equalized in the 88th minute, forcing the match into extra time. The game was eventful, with three red cards shown, including one to Al Nassr’s David Ospina. Ultimately, it was Al Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bounou who emerged as the hero, saving Al Nassr’s final two penalties to secure the trophy.
It is worth noting that Al Hilal’s triumph came despite the absence of their star Brazilian forward, Neymar, who suffered a serious knee injury shortly after joining the team from Paris Saint-Germain. Despite this setback, Al Hilal proved their strength and resilience throughout the season.
