After losing to Benzema's team, Ronaldo bids farewell to the Saudi King's Cup

(Football result) - Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr faced a huge setback after being beaten 2-1 by Al Ittihad, who played with ten men, resulting in a painful elimination in the Saudi King's Cup round of 16.

Al Nassr, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, experienced a shocking 1-2 loss to Al Ittihad in the round of 16 of the Saudi King's Cup, despite being favored and having a numerical advantage for nearly half of the second half. The Sunday night match ended in great disappointment for Jorge Jesus’s team, as their dream of achieving a treble this season was shattered once again.

From the start, Al Nassr took an aggressive approach aiming to overwhelm their opponents. However, just 15 minutes in, they paid the price for a midfield turnover. Moussa Diaby exploited his pace down the right flank before crossing for Karim Benzema to easily tap in the opening goal for Al Ittihad.

The early goal unsettled Al Nassr’s defense, while Ronaldo was forced to drop deep to retrieve the ball as his team struggled against the opponent’s sharp counterattacks.

At the 30th minute, Al Nassr managed to equalize after relentless efforts. From Ronaldo’s cross on the left wing, the ball deflected off a defender, allowing Angelo to fire a powerful shot to level the score at 1-1. However, the joy lasted less than 15 minutes. Just before halftime, Houssem Aouar finished skillfully following a central combination, putting Al Ittihad ahead 2-1.

In the second half, it seemed luck favored Al Nassr when Al Ittihad’s Ahmed Al Julaydan was shown a direct red card in the 49th minute for a dangerous foul on Mohamed Simakan. Despite having the numerical advantage, Al Nassr failed to break through the solid defense built by Benzema and his teammates.

Ronaldo had at least three clear chances inside the penalty area but failed to convert any, while Al Ittihad’s goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe delivered an outstanding performance.

This defeat not only ended Al Nassr’s run in the King's Cup but also snapped their streak of 10 consecutive wins across all competitions, including six in the domestic league and three in the AFC Champions League Two. After losing the Saudi Super Cup, this marks the second time in the 2025–26 season that Ronaldo and his team missed out on lifting a trophy.

Nevertheless, Al Nassr’s coach urged his players to remain calm. He emphasized that their main goal is to win the Saudi Pro League, while the continental AFC Champions League Two remains an important opportunity to establish their status.