Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup: Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad advance to the Round of 16

Al-Nassr secured their place in the King Abdulaziz Cup final after turning a one-goal deficit against Al-Diriyah into a commanding 4-1 victory on the evening of the previous day at Al-Olaya Park, as part of the Round of 32. The Al-Nassr side replicated their strong start from last season’s tournament, when they opened their campaign with a 4-0 win over Al-Jeddah.

Al-Ittihad also advanced after defeating their rivals Al-Najma 3-0 at King Abdullah Sports City in Buraidah.

Neom booked their spot in the Round of 16 for the first time in their history, overturning a one-goal deficit to beat hosts Al-Faisaly 3-1 at Al-Majmaah Sports City.

This is Neom’s second appearance in the King’s Cup since the ownership of the Falcons club was transferred to NEOM in June 2023, after which the club adopted its current name. In their previous participation last season, Neom were eliminated in the Round of 32 by Al-Hazem.

Al-Jalain advanced to the Round of 16 for the second time in their history, defeating visitors Al-Ettifaq 1-0 at Prince Abdulaziz bin Musaed bin Jalawi Sports City in Ha’il. Al-Jalain had reached this stage previously by beating Al-Fateh 2-0 at the same venue in 2024. The stadium also witnessed Al-Ettifaq’s elimination in the Round of 16 last season, when they lost 3-1.

Al-Khodoud also reached the Round of 16 for the second time in their history, defeating Al-Ghaf 2-0 at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Sports City in Abha. Al-Khodoud previously reached this stage last season by eliminating Al-Bakriyah.

The draw for the Round of 16 will take place this Thursday afternoon inside the studios of “Thamanah” channels.

On another note, the Saudi Ministry of Sport announced in a statement on Wednesday that it had “begun the transfer of ownership of shares in non-profit institutions, which hold 25% of the shares in the four club companies (Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, Al-Hilal, and Al-Nassr), to the Public Investment Fund (PIF), and dissolved the boards of directors of those institutions,” following the completion of all regulatory procedures.

The statement issued by the Ministry of Sport further noted that “this step represents the second phase of the transfer of ownership of the four clubs.”

This move comes “as part of completing the transition toward an ownership model that enhances their investment appeal, solidifies the foundations of corporate governance, and supports their long-term sustainability and growth, in line with the objectives of the Sports Clubs Investment and Privatization Project.”

Meanwhile, Al-Hilal will face Al-Taawoun today in the second round of the Pro League.