Dubai: Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo was overwhelmed with emotion and seen shedding tears after his team Al Nassr's defeat to Al Hilal in the Saudi King’s Cup final.
Despite his efforts and finishing as the top scorer in the Saudi League, Ronaldo's pursuit of his first local title with Al Nassr ended in heartbreak following a closely contested penalty shootout.
The final, held at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, ended in a 1-1 draw after normal and extra time, pushing the teams into a decisive penalty shootout.
Global news agencies and social media highlighted images of a distraught Ronaldo, crying on the field and later on the bench, as Al Hilal clinched the victory 5-4 on penalties.
The high-tension match was marked by early scoring from Al Hilal’s Aleksandar Mitrović and a late equalizer by Al Nassr’s Ayman Yahya. The game also saw significant disruptions with the dismissals of Al Nassr goalkeeper David Ospina and Al Hilal defenders Ali Al Bulayhi and Khalidou Koulibaly.
In the shootout, both teams missed opportunities, but failures from three Al Nassr players sealed their fate, handing Al Hilal their 11th King’s Cup title and second consecutive win in this tournament through penalties.
