Al-Nassr exited the 2025-26 Saudi King’s Cup in the round of 16 following a 2-1 defeat to Al-Ittihad in a match held at the Al-Alamy stadium, Al-Oula Park.
Al-Ittihad took the lead through Karim Benzema in the 15th minute, before Angelo Gabriel equalized for Al-Nassr in the 30th minute. Houssem Aouar then scored the second goal for Al-Ittihad in the final minute of the first half.
In the second half, Ahmed Al-Julaidan received a red card in the 49th minute, leaving Al-Ittihad to finish the match with ten men. However, Cristiano Ronaldo’s teammates were unable to equalize, and they were eliminated early from the tournament once again.
This defeat is Al-Nassr’s first this season under coach Jorge Jesus, after winning six matches in the Roshen League and three in the AFC Champions League.
The King’s Cup may be considered a real thorn in Ronaldo’s side’s side. This was his fourth participation in the “most valuable cup,” yet he failed to win the title, with his best performance coming in the final.
When Ronaldo moved to Al-Nassr in the winter of 2023, he played two matches in the 2022-23 edition: the first against Abha in the quarterfinals, which Al-Nassr won 3-1, and the second against Al-Wahda in the semifinals, which the Yellows lost 1-0 and were eliminated from the tournament.
In the 2023-24 edition, Ronaldo scored three goals: one against Al-Shabab in the quarterfinals and two against Al-Khaleej in the semifinals. However, he lost the final to Al-Hilal on penalties, a night in which Yassine Bounou shone.
Last season’s edition was the 40-year-old’s worst, as Al-Nassr lost 1-0 to Al-Taawoun in the round of 16. Ronaldo missed a last-minute penalty kick, which marked his team’s early exit from the competition.
It is noteworthy that Al-Nassr has not been able to win the Saudi King’s Cup since 1990.
