Cristiano Ronaldo was left in tears after his Al Nassr side lost the Saudi King’s Cup final to Al Hilal in a penalty shootout on Friday to end the season without a trophy.
Al Hilal triumphed 5-4 on penalties to complete the league and cup double after the match in Jeddah ended 1-1 in regulation time and extra time failed to provide a winner.
Following Al Nassr’s defeat, Ronaldo sunk to the turf and was inconsolable as teammates and coaching staff tried to comfort him. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was eventually led off the field but continued to be overcome with emotion as he sat on the sideline before collecting his runners-up medal.
The loss completes 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.
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Ronaldo was also suspended for an obscene gesture in February at Al Shabab fans who had been chanting the name of Lionel Messi, Ronaldo’s longstanding rival.
However, the 39-year-old did achieve plenty of personal accolades. In his first full Saudi Pro League season, the Portugal forward scored a record-breaking 35 goals.
But he could do nothing to prevent his side’s loss on Friday, despite finding the net in the shootout.
Aleksandar Mitrovic put Al Hilal ahead in the seventh minute before Aiman Yahya sent the game to extra time with an 88th-minute equaliser. An eventful contest saw the referee produce three red cards, with David Ospina sent off for Al Nassr in the 57th minute before Ali Al-Bulayhi and Kalidou Koulibaly followed late on for Al Hilal.
Al Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was eventually the hero as he saved Al Nassr’s final two penalties to secure the trophy
Al Hilal’s success has come despite star Brazilian forward Neymar missing almost the entire season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee in October, shortly after joining from Paris Saint-Germain. While not on the field, Neymar was again in attendance on Friday to cheer on his team from the stands.
