JEDDAH — Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman presented Al Ittihad with the King's Cup trophy on Friday night following their 3-1 win over Al Qadsiah in the final at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah. In front of a packed crowd of 60,000, Al Ittihad secured their second trophy of the season with a dominant performance, led by French captain Karim Benzema, who scored twice on the night. Benzema opened the scoring in the 34th minute before midfielder Houssem Aouar added a second just nine minutes later. Benzema struck again in stoppage time to put the match beyond doubt. Al Qadsiah managed a consolation goal through a penalty converted by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in first-half added time. Al Qadsiah's hopes of a comeback faded late in the match when Argentine midfielder Ezequiel Fernández was sent off after receiving a second yellow card. The victory marks Al Ittihad's 10th King's Cup title overall and their sixth under the updated official count of domestic competitions. It also caps a remarkable season for the Jeddah-based club, who earlier clinched the Saudi Pro League title ahead of rivals Al Hilal. The win cements Al Ittihad's dominance in domestic football this season, with Benzema's leadership and goalscoring proving pivotal in both title runs.
