Al Hilal and Al Nassr Grapple with Chaos in King’s Cup Showdown

Al Hilal and Al Nassr’s King’s Cup final descended into chaos as the referee issued three red cards in the last 30 minutes of the game. Al Nassr led by Cristiano Ronaldo aimed to secure their first trophy of the season after losing the Saudi Pro League title to their rivals. Despite an early lead from Aleksandar Mitrovic, the match took a dramatic turn. Ronaldo faced a brief injury scare when he collided with goalkeeper Bono and appeared to get his boot caught in the turf. Despite concerns, the Portugal captain bravely continued playing. At halftime, the score remained 1-0 but the chaos intensified in the second half.

In a stunning turn of events, the referee issued a red card to Al Nassr goalkeeper David Ospina for handling the ball outside his penalty area while also sending off Al Hilal defender Ali Al Bulayhi. The tension mounted as Ayman Yahya scored an 88th-minute equalizer, adding to the already intense drama. Adding fuel to the fire, former Chelsea player Kalidou Koulibaly received a second yellow card leaving Al Hilal with only nine men on the field after a collision with Al Nassr substitute goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah.

Prior to the match, Ronaldo received the Golden Boot for finishing as the top scorer in the 2023/24 Saudi Pro League. In 2023, he also topped the goal-scoring charts in a major European league, surpassing players like Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane. Ronaldo expressed immense pride and determination upon receiving the honor, vowing to continue performing at his absolute best.