Al Nassr drew 1-1 with Al Hilal when goalkeeper Bento deflected the ball into his own net with 12 seconds remaining.
11:16 PM
Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr were denied the Saudi Pro League title Saturday when goalkeeper Bento committed a costly error in the final moments of their match against Al Hilal in Riyadh.
Al Nassr led 1-0 and were 12 seconds away from clinching the championship when Al Hilal launched a long throw towards the Al Nassr penalty area. The ball overshot the group of Al Hilal attackers and appeared to be heading calmly towards Bento.
A breakdown in communication between Bento and defender Inigo Martinez proved decisive. As Bento, a Brazil international, jumped to claim the delivery, Martinez backtracked and attempted to head the ball clear. Bento's attempts to catch the ball were impeded, and he deflected it into his own net. Defender Abdulelah Al-Amri was unable to clear the ball off the line.
The match finished 1-1. Al Nassr had taken the lead in the first half through Mohamed Simakan, who scored in the 37th minute after capitalizing on a ball inside the penalty area against Al Hilal goalkeeper Bono. In the second half, Al Nassr created additional chances to extend their advantage but failed to convert them.
Bento is among Brazil's preliminary squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and was being considered as the country's third-choice goalkeeper for the tournament.
Al Nassr will face Damac in their final match of the season. Al Hilal have two remaining fixtures against Neom and Al Fayha.
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