Jeddah: Al Hilal SFC staged a dramatic comeback to defeat Al Kholood Club 2-1 and lift the King’s Cup title in front of a packed crowd at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah. The high-intensity final of the 39th edition of the tournament saw Al Hilal recover from an early shock to secure a record-extending 10th King’s Cup crown and further cement their dominance in Saudi football.
Al Kholood stunned the favourites just four minutes into the match when Ramiro Enrique broke through the Al Hilal defence and fired in the opening goal, silencing much of the crowd inside the Alinma Stadium. The early strike forced Al Hilal onto the attack as the match turned into an aggressive end-to-end contest.
The momentum shifted dramatically in the closing minutes of the first half. Nasser Al-Dawsari equalised in the 42nd minute after sustained pressure from Al Hilal, before Theo Hernández struck moments later to complete the turnaround and hand Al Hilal a crucial 2-1 lead before halftime. Despite repeated second-half attacks from Al Kholood, Al Hilal’s defence held firm and protected the advantage until the final whistle.
The final attracted 55,857 spectators, including Saudi and international football fans. The trophy was presented on behalf of King Salman by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after the match officiated by German referee Daniel Siebert.
With the victory, Al Hilal became the most successful club in King’s Cup history with 10 titles. Al Ahli Saudi FC remain second with eight trophies, followed by Al Ittihad Club with six, Al Nassr FC with five and Al Shabab FC with three titles. Saudi Sports Minister Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal congratulated Al Hilal while also praising Al Kholood for their strong performance, describing the final as another sign of Saudi football’s growing international stature.
