Al Nassr were knocked out of the Saudi King’s Cup following a 1-0 defeat to Al Taawoun, with Cristiano Ronaldo missing a crucial penalty in stoppage time.
The decisive moment came in the 95th minute when Ronaldo, who had previously scored all 18 penalties for Al Nassr, sent his spot-kick over the crossbar at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh. The ball struck a young supporter who was recording the moment on his phone in the stands behind the goal.
Al Taawoun had taken the lead through Waleed Al-Ahmad’s header in the 70th minute. The same player later conceded the penalty that could have forced extra time.
The round-of-16 exit marks the first defeat for new manager Stefano Pioli since taking over from Luis Castro in September. The result also means Ronaldo remains without a major trophy since joining the Saudi club in December 2022, despite contributing 73 goals in 82 appearances.
“Technically we performed well but we couldn’t win the game,” Pioli said after the match. “We feel disappointed to be out of the cup. But we still have two trophies to go for and we will give our best in them.”
Al Nassr’s remaining chances for silverware this season include the Saudi Pro League, where they trail leaders Al Hilal by six points after eight matches. They have also collected seven points from three games in their Asian Champions League campaign.
The King’s Cup match was played in front of 14,519 spectators at Al-Awwal Park in the Saudi capital.
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