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Ronaldo Distraught After Saudi King’s Cup Final Loss |
Cristiano Ronaldo was visibly distraught after his Al Nassr team was defeated in the King’s Cup final by Al Hilal on penalties late Friday, prolonging his trophy absence in Saudi Arabia.
The arrival of the Portuguese icon last year prompted a wave of elite players to join the oil-rich Saudi Pro League, and he was seen dejected on the ground as Al Hilal rejoiced.
At 39, Ronaldo took a slow walk off the field and was seated in the dug-out, his face wet with tears.
The fiery match included three ejections, one of which was Al Nassr’s former Arsenal goalie David Ospina. Ayman Yahya's 88th-minute goal negated Al Hilal’s initial lead by Aleksandar Mitrovic.
However, Al Hilal secured a 5-4 victory in the penalty shoot-out, achieving the Saudi treble, having already won the Super Cup and the Saudi Pro League, remaining undefeated in local competitions.
This term, Al Hilal, despite Neymar, their marquee signing, being sidelined with an injury since October, managed to set a new record with a 34-game winning streak across all contests.
Al Nassr, finishing second in the league to Al Hilal and losing to them in the Super Cup, fell short again even with Ronaldo's remarkable performance, who set a new Pro League record with 35 goals.
The only trophy Ronaldo has won with the Riyadh-based team is the previous year’s Arab Club Champions Cup.
Ronaldo’s deal, reportedly worth 400 million euros over two and a half years, is set to expire after the next season.
