Cristiano Ronaldo missed out on adding another trophy to his collection on Saturday as Al-Nassr were beaten by Al-Ahli in a dramatic Saudi Super Cup final at the Hong Kong Stadium, decided by a penalty shootout.
Al-Nassr dominated possession from the outset, but neither side could find a breakthrough in the first half despite several opportunities. It was not until the 41st minute that Ronaldo, cheered on by a raucous section of fans, converted a penalty to score his 100th goal for the Saudi club and give Al-Nassr a 1-0 lead – a historic milestone for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
However, Al-Ahli responded swiftly. Just before half-time, midfielder Frank Kessie finished with composure from the left to level the score at 1-1.
The second half saw both teams create chances, but the deadlock remained until the 82nd minute, when Marcelo Brozovic put Al-Nassr ahead with a composed strike. The celebrations were short-lived, though, as Roger Ibanez restored parity for Al-Ahli just before stoppage time, sending the game to penalties after a 2-2 draw in regular time.
The penalty shootout remained tight until Al-Ahli’s goalkeeper Édouard Mendy denied Al-Khaibari’s attempt. Galeno calmly converted the decisive kick, giving Al-Ahli a 5-3 shootout victory and securing the Saudi Super Cup.