The King Cup: From Saudi Arabia to the world

Jeddah - Yasmine El Tohamy - JEDDAH: The image of Cristiano Ronaldo weeping after Al-Nassr’s penalty shootout loss to Al-Hilal in Friday’s King Cup final will live long in the memory — and not just for Saudi football fans.

After a 1-1 draw in a match that saw three red cards, newly crowned Saudi Pro League champions Al-Hilal defeated Riyadh rival Al-Nassr 5-4 on penalties to claim the Kingdom’s most beloved cup competition.

Around the world, Ronaldo’s tears went viral. Never before had the King Cup been the focus of a global audience to this extent.

But long before the arrival of Ronaldo and the influx of foreign superstars over the last year, the competition had been steeped in history. The late King Saud bin Abdulaziz established the King Cup in 1957, and the national tournament quickly became a testament to the nation’s intense passion for football.

Al-Wehda, from Makkah, won the first edition of the King Cup in 1957, and the following decades would witness fierce competition between some of Saudi Arabia’s most successful clubs such as Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad.

Al-Ittihad from Jeddah and the capital’s Al-Hilal have faced each other the most times in the final of the King Cup, creating one of the fiercest rivalries in the competition’s history. Currently, Al-Ahli hold the record with 13 titles, while Al-Hilal follow closely with 11 wins following Friday’s dramatic final against Al-Nassr.

As Saudi football began to establish itself on the international front, the King Cup quickly became a symbol of national pride and the country’s most prestigious football tournament.

The early years of the competition were marked by the development of fierce rivalries and delivered finals that captivated a rapidly increasing number of fans.

An iconic final in King Cup history occurred in 1982 between two of the country’s biggest sides, Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad, who played before the late King Fahd bin Abdulaziz. The encounter ended in a 3-1 win for Al-Hilal, a nail-biter that for every Saudi football fan who witnessed it remains one of the most memorable finals in the tournament’s history.

The King Cup was not contested between 1990 and 2007. When it returned in 2008, it had undergone a significant restructuring by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, which saw only the Saudi league’s top six participate. The competition returned to its original format in 2014.

Fast forward to recent years, the King Cup aura continues to captivate the nation. During the COVID-19-interrupted year of 2020, the national tournament was held amid the challenges of the global pandemic, and the final between Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal took place under strict health protocols at the King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh. Al-Hilal emerged victorious by a scoreline of 2-1.

The King Cup was designed to unite the nation and promote athletic excellence beyond the statistics and silverware. In recent years, the competition has played a crucial role in showcasing the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative, which aims to promote cultural and sporting events as well as position the Kingdom as a growing hub for international sports.

Each year adds a new page to an ongoing story of embracing modernization while honoring tradition and attracting top-tier talent, with fervent fans from across the nation.

As the final whistle blows on each edition, the King Cup leaves behind unforgettable memories for Saudi fans, and thanks to Saudi Arabia’s cultural and sporting evolution in recent times, increasingly for a global audience as well.