Cristiano Ronaldo was emotionally overcome as his Al-Nassr team suffered a heartbreaking defeat to rivals Al-Hilal in the King’s Cup final, which saw three players sent off. The former Manchester United star fell to his knees as Al-Hilal emerged victorious 5-4 in a penalty shootout after the game ended 1-1 in extra time.
Despite Ronaldo’s record-breaking 35 goals in the Saudi Pro League this season, the 39-year-old Portuguese captain couldn’t hold back tears as he left the pitch empty-handed. His only previous triumph in Saudi Arabia was last year’s Arab Club Champions Cup victory.
The drama continued as both teams missed penalties in the shootout, with Al-Hilal ultimately securing the domestic double after goalkeeper Yassine Bounou saved Al-Nassr’s final spot-kick. The match saw former Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic open the scoring early before Al-Nassr’s goalkeeper David Ospina was shown a red card.
Despite a late equaliser from Al-Nassr’s Ayman Yahya, red cards for Al-Hilal’s Ali Al-Bulayhi and Kalidou Koulibaly ensured a tense and dramatic climax to the match.
Cristiano Ronaldo in tears… He's been let down yet again. The story of his career.pic.twitter.com/Y2K9v8yWa0
— The CR7 Timeline. (@TimelineCR7) May 31, 2024
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