Cristiano Ronaldo’s wait for a Saudi Arabian football trophy will continue after the Super Cup exit.
Al Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off late in the Saudi Super Cup semifinal against city rivals Al Hilal, which ended 2-1 in Abu Dhabi.
Portugal’s leading scorer was issued a straight red card four minutes from time for elbowing an opponent while his team was 2-0 behind before scoring a late consolation on Monday night.
Al Hilal, led by Jorge Jesus, opened the score in the 62nd minute when Salem al-Dawsari converted a Sergej Milinkovic-Savic flick following a rapid burst.
Malcolm, a Brazilian striker, extended the advantage in the 72nd minute with a wonderful header after Michael’s long ball from the right found him unmarked in the center of the box.
Sadio Mane, a former Liverpool forward, scored for Al Nassr in stoppage time after being set up by Abdulrahman Ghareeb.
Al Hilal will seek a record-extending fourth trophy in Thursday’s final against Karim Benzema’s Al Ittihad, who defeated Al Wehda 2-1 in the previous semifinal on Monday.
Ronaldo joined Al Nassr on a free transfer on December 31, 2022, and signed a two-and-a-half-year, $213 million contract, making him the highest-paid professional footballer.
The Portuguese striker, who started playing for Al Nassr in January 2023, has yet to win a title in Saudi Arabia.
