Watch: Cristiano Ronaldo misses 96th minute penalty as Al Nassr exit King's Cup

In a dramatic finish, Cristiano Ronaldo missed a last-minute penalty, sealing Al-Nassr's fate in a 0-1 loss to Al Taawoun in the King's Cup.

In Short

• Al-Nassr suffered a 0-1 defeat, exiting the King’s Cup in the Round of 16
• Ronaldo blazed his penalty over the bar
• Al Nassr next face Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League

Cristiano Ronaldo missed a last-minute chance to save Al-Nassr’s King’s Cup campaign, failing to convert a penalty as they fell to a surprising 0-1 defeat to Al Taawoun in the Round of 16 on Tuesday, October 29. In the dying seconds of stoppage time, with Al-Nassr trailing, Ronaldo’s penalty soared over the crossbar, ending any hope of taking the match into extra time. The Portuguese forward’s reaction told the story, as he walked away from the spot with his head in his hands, visibly frustrated.

Al Taawoun had shocked the Al-Nassr faithful earlier when defender Waleed Al-Ahmed capitalized on a corner kick in the 71st minute, heading the ball in to put the visitors ahead. Al Taawoun then nearly doubled their lead, but the decisive moment came when Al-Ahmed fouled Al-Nassr’s Mohammed Maran inside the box, handing Ronaldo a golden opportunity to equalise from the spot. However, Ronaldo, typically reliable in high-stakes moments, sent the penalty off target, much to the dismay of Al-Nassr’s fans and his teammates. You can see the full video below:

This loss extends Ronaldo’s wait for a domestic cup title with Al-Nassr, a competition they last won several seasons ago. Previously, Al-Nassr had twice finished runners-up behind Al-Hilal, leaving Ronaldo yet to secure a King’s Cup trophy during his time in Saudi Arabia.

The missed penalty marked a tough night for Ronaldo, who had only one other major chance on goal. Late in the second half, the 39-year-old took a free kick, skillfully aiming for the goalkeeper’s side, but Al Taawoun’s Mailson made a crucial save to deny him yet again. Mailson had been a thorn in Al-Nassr’s side from the start, blocking an early attempt from Anderson Talisca, who fired a shot toward the goal in the third minute.

Despite the defeat, Ronaldo and Al-Nassr will shift focus to the Saudi Pro League, where they currently sit in a competitive position. Their next match is on Friday, a high-stakes encounter against league leaders Al Hilal. With the league title still in contention, Ronaldo’s attention now turns to helping Al-Nassr push for a strong finish and potentially capturing silverware in the domestic competition.