King's Cup (Saudi Arabia)

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King's Cup
كأس الملك
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' Cup
كأس خادم الحرمين الشريفين
Organiser(s)Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF)
Founded1966; 60 years ago (1966)
2008; 18 years ago (2008) (Re-established)
RegionSaudi Arabia
Teams32
Qualifier forAFC Champions League Two
Domestic cupSaudi Super Cup
Current championsAl-Ittihad (6th title)
Most championshipsAl-Hilal (9 titles)
BroadcasterThmanyah
2025–26 King's Cup

The King's Cup, officially titled The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' Cup, is the Saudi Arabian football knockout cup competition.[1]

The King's Cup is the second-oldest knockout competition in Saudi Arabian football, following the now-defunct Crown Prince Cup.

History

[edit]

The competition was originally established in 1957 as the His Majesty's Cup (commonly known as the King Cup) and was held annually until 1990. After a hiatus, the tournament was reintroduced in 2008 under the new name King Cup of Champions, featuring the top six finishers of the Saudi Premier League, along with the winners of the Saudi Crown Prince Cup and the Saudi Federation Cup.

In 2014, the tournament was officially renamed the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' Cup and returned to a broader knockout format, more closely resembling the original structure.[2]

In 2025, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation revised the historical records of the King Cup following a comprehensive review and official documentation. As part of this revision, the Federation reclassified certain titles that were previously counted as King Cup wins as league championships, in order to align with their original competitive formats. This adjustment led to significant changes in the official title counts of various clubs—some teams saw an increase in their league championship totals, while their number of cup titles decreased accordingly.

Additionally, the establishment date of the King Cup was officially revised from 1957 to 1966, further aligning the competition’s historical framework with official documentation and structural changes.[3]

Trophy

[edit]

In 2024, SAFF (Saudi Arabian Football Federation) revealed a newly redesigned trophy of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup during a ceremony held in Riyadh. A new trophy was required because under the competition's regulations, a team that wins the cup three consecutive times or four times in total has the right to keep the original trophy.[4]

Made by British silversmiths, Thomas Lyte, the trophy is made of sterling silver coated with 24-carat gold plate. It weighs 9.32 kg, and is 54 cm high, 18 cm wide, has a base diameter of 17 cm and is made of marble and malachite.[5]

Champions

[edit]

List of champions and runners-up

[edit]
#YearChampionsRunners-up
King Cup
11966Al-WehdaAl-Ettifaq
21967Al-IttihadAl-Nassr
31968Al-EttifaqAl-Hilal
41969Al-AhliAl-Shabab
1970–1975Not held
51976Al-NassrAl-Ahli
61977Al-AhliAl-Hilal
71978Al-AhliAl-Riyadh
81979Al-AhliAl-Ittihad
91980Al-HilalAl-Shabab
101981Al-NassrAl-Hilal
111982Al-HilalAl-Ittihad
121983Al-AhliAl-Ettifaq
131984Al-HilalAl-Ahli
141985Al-EttifaqAl-Hilal
151986Al-NassrAl-Ittihad
161987Al-NassrAl-Hilal
171988Al-IttihadAl-Ettifaq
181989Al-HilalAl-Nassr
191990Al-NassrAl-Taawoun
1991–2007Not held
King Cup of Champions
202008Al-ShababAl-Ittihad
212009Al-ShababAl-Ittihad
222010Al-IttihadAl-Hilal
232011Al-AhliAl-Ittihad
242012Al-AhliAl-Nassr
252013Al-IttihadAl-Shabab
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' Cup
262014Al-ShababAl-Ahli
272015Al-HilalAl-Nassr
282016Al-AhliAl-Nassr
292017Al-HilalAl-Ahli
302018Al-IttihadAl-Faisaly
312019Al-TaawounAl-Ittihad
322020Al-HilalAl-Nassr
332021Al-FaisalyAl Taawoun
342022Al-FayhaAl-Hilal
352023Al-HilalAl-Wehda
362024Al-HilalAl-Nassr
372025Al-IttihadAl-Qadsiah

Performance by club

[edit]

Trophies

[edit]

[6][7][8]

ClubTitlesWinning years
Al-Hilal91980, 1982, 1984, 1989, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2023, 2024
Al-Ahli81969, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1983, 2011, 2012, 2016
Al-Ittihad61967, 1988, 2010, 2013, 2018, 2025
Al-Nassr51976, 1981, 1986, 1987, 1990
Al-Shabab32008, 2009, 2014
Al-Ettifaq21968, 1985
Al-Wehda11966
Al-Taawoun12019
Al-Faisaly12021
Al-Fayha12022
Total37

All-time top scorers

[edit]
As of 6 January 2025
PlayerNationalityClub(s)Goals
1Majed AbdullahSaudi Arabia Saudi ArabiaAl-Nassr39
2Abderrazak Hamdallah MoroccoAl-Nassr (20), Al-Ittihad (6), Al-Shabab (3)29
3Amin DabouSaudi Arabia Saudi ArabiaAl-Ahli28
4Nasser Al-Shamrani
Ahmed Al-Sogaier
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia
Al-Hilal (4), Al-Shabab (16)
Al-Ahli (20)
20
5Mukhtar FallatahSaudi Arabia Saudi ArabiaAl-Ittihad (11), Al-Wehda (7)18
6Léandre Tawamba CameroonAl-Taawoun (12), Al-Tai (2)14
7Hussam Abu Dawood
Omar Al-Somah
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia
Syria Syria
Al-Ahli (12),
Al-Ahli (12)
12

Hat-tricks

[edit]
PlayerForAgainstScoreDate
Saudi Arabia Youssef AnbarOhodAl-Nahda
4–1
11 May 1989
Saudi Arabia Saad Al-HarthiAl-NassrAl-Ahli
3–0
5 April 2010
Brazil Victor SimõesAl-AhliAl-Nassr
3–1
9 April 2010
Saudi Arabia Mukhtar FallatahAl-WehdaAl-Ettifaq
4–3
11 January 2011
Saudi Arabia Nasser Al-ShamraniAl-HilalAl-Faisaly
3–1
1 May 2015
Poland Adrian MierzejewskiAl-NassrDiriyah
7–0
20 January 2016
Nigeria Patrick Friday EzeAl-QadsiahAl-Safa
4–0
20 January 2017
Guinea Ismaël BangouraAl-RaedAl-Jabalain
3–0
21 January 2017
Syria Omar KhribinAl-HilalAl-Taawoun
4–3
13 May 2017
Saudi Arabia Mohammed Al-SaiariAl-EttifaqAl-Tai
6–0
3 January 2018
Morocco Abderrazak HamdallahAl-NassrAl-Jandal
6–0
3 January 2019
Eritrea Ahmed Abdu Jaber4Al-WehdaAl-Nairyah
6–1
3 January 2019
Venezuela Gelmin RivasAl-HilalAl-Dera'a
9–0
5 January 2019
France Bafétimbi Gomis4
Morocco Abderrazak Hamdallah4Al-NassrAl-Ansar
5–0
18 January 2019
Saudi Arabia Hazaa Al-HazaaAl-EttifaqAl-Amjad
9–1
18 January 2019
Morocco Abderrazak HamdallahAl-NassrAl-Fayha
6–0
21 January 2019
Madagascar Carolus Andriamatsinoro5Al-AdalahAl-Rawdah
8–0
5 December 2019
Morocco Abderrazak HamdallahAl-NassrDamac
4–2
24 December 2019
Saudi Arabia Mohammed Al-KuwaykibiAl-EttifaqOhod
7–1
3 January 2020
Cape Verde Júlio TavaresAl-FaisalyAl-Taawoun
3–2
29 May 2021

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Official SAFF site in English". Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  2. ^ "بيان: موافقة على تغيير نظامي كأس الملك وولي العهد". TheSAFF.com.sa. 18 September 2013. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  3. ^ "الهلال "يكسر" تفوق الأهلي.. سجل الأبطال التاريخيين لكأس خادم الحرمين الشريفين". سعودي. 31 August 2025. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
  4. ^ "Saudi Football Federation Unveils Redesigned King's Cup". spa.gov.sa. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
  5. ^ "New King's Cup trophy unveiled in Riyadh". Arab News. 2024-03-14. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
  6. ^ "Storied history of football in Saudi Arabia celebrated through landmark collaboration project". FIFA. 31 August 2025. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
  7. ^ "Saudi Arabia officially documents 123 years of football history". Saudi Gazette. 1 September 2025. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
  8. ^ "AFC President congratulates SAFF on completion of historic football heritage project". Asian Football Confederation. 26 August 2025. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
[edit]
    King's Cup
    كأس الملك
    The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' Cup
    كأس خادم الحرمين الشريفين
    Organiser(s)Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF)
    Founded1966; 60 years ago (1966)
    2008; 18 years ago (2008) (Re-established)
    RegionSaudi Arabia
    Teams32
    Qualifier forAFC Champions League Two
    Domestic cupSaudi Super Cup
    Current championsAl-Ittihad (6th title)
    Most championshipsAl-Hilal (9 titles)
    BroadcasterThmanyah
    2025–26 King's Cup

    The King's Cup, officially titled The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' Cup, is the Saudi Arabian football knockout cup competition.[1]

    The King's Cup is the second-oldest knockout competition in Saudi Arabian football, following the now-defunct Crown Prince Cup.

    History

    The competition was originally established in 1957 as the His Majesty's Cup (commonly known as the King Cup) and was held annually until 1990. After a hiatus, the tournament was reintroduced in 2008 under the new name King Cup of Champions, featuring the top six finishers of the Saudi Premier League, along with the winners of the Saudi Crown Prince Cup and the Saudi Federation Cup.

    In 2014, the tournament was officially renamed the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' Cup and returned to a broader knockout format, more closely resembling the original structure.[2]

    In 2025, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation revised the historical records of the King Cup following a comprehensive review and official documentation. As part of this revision, the Federation reclassified certain titles that were previously counted as King Cup wins as league championships, in order to align with their original competitive formats. This adjustment led to significant changes in the official title counts of various clubs—some teams saw an increase in their league championship totals, while their number of cup titles decreased accordingly.

    Additionally, the establishment date of the King Cup was officially revised from 1957 to 1966, further aligning the competition’s historical framework with official documentation and structural changes.[3]

    Trophy

    In 2024, SAFF (Saudi Arabian Football Federation) revealed a newly redesigned trophy of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup during a ceremony held in Riyadh. A new trophy was required because under the competition's regulations, a team that wins the cup three consecutive times or four times in total has the right to keep the original trophy.[4]

    Made by British silversmiths, Thomas Lyte, the trophy is made of sterling silver coated with 24-carat gold plate. It weighs 9.32 kg, and is 54 cm high, 18 cm wide, has a base diameter of 17 cm and is made of marble and malachite.[5]

    Champions

    List of champions and runners-up

    #YearChampionsRunners-up
    King Cup
    11966Al-WehdaAl-Ettifaq
    21967Al-IttihadAl-Nassr
    31968Al-EttifaqAl-Hilal
    41969Al-AhliAl-Shabab
    1970–1975Not held
    51976Al-NassrAl-Ahli
    61977Al-AhliAl-Hilal
    71978Al-AhliAl-Riyadh
    81979Al-AhliAl-Ittihad
    91980Al-HilalAl-Shabab
    101981Al-NassrAl-Hilal
    111982Al-HilalAl-Ittihad
    121983Al-AhliAl-Ettifaq
    131984Al-HilalAl-Ahli
    141985Al-EttifaqAl-Hilal
    151986Al-NassrAl-Ittihad
    161987Al-NassrAl-Hilal
    171988Al-IttihadAl-Ettifaq
    181989Al-HilalAl-Nassr
    191990Al-NassrAl-Taawoun
    1991–2007Not held
    King Cup of Champions
    202008Al-ShababAl-Ittihad
    212009Al-ShababAl-Ittihad
    222010Al-IttihadAl-Hilal
    232011Al-AhliAl-Ittihad
    242012Al-AhliAl-Nassr
    252013Al-IttihadAl-Shabab
    The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' Cup
    262014Al-ShababAl-Ahli
    272015Al-HilalAl-Nassr
    282016Al-AhliAl-Nassr
    292017Al-HilalAl-Ahli
    302018Al-IttihadAl-Faisaly
    312019Al-TaawounAl-Ittihad
    322020Al-HilalAl-Nassr
    332021Al-FaisalyAl Taawoun
    342022Al-FayhaAl-Hilal
    352023Al-HilalAl-Wehda
    362024Al-HilalAl-Nassr
    372025Al-IttihadAl-Qadsiah

    Performance by club

    Trophies

    [6][7][8]

    ClubTitlesWinning years
    Al-Hilal91980, 1982, 1984, 1989, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2023, 2024
    Al-Ahli81969, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1983, 2011, 2012, 2016
    Al-Ittihad61967, 1988, 2010, 2013, 2018, 2025
    Al-Nassr51976, 1981, 1986, 1987, 1990
    Al-Shabab32008, 2009, 2014
    Al-Ettifaq21968, 1985
    Al-Wehda11966
    Al-Taawoun12019
    Al-Faisaly12021
    Al-Fayha12022
    Total37

    All-time top scorers

    As of 6 January 2025
    PlayerNationalityClub(s)Goals
    1Majed AbdullahSaudi Arabia Saudi ArabiaAl-Nassr39
    2Abderrazak Hamdallah MoroccoAl-Nassr (20), Al-Ittihad (6), Al-Shabab (3)29
    3Amin DabouSaudi Arabia Saudi ArabiaAl-Ahli28
    4Nasser Al-Shamrani
    Ahmed Al-Sogaier
    Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia
    Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia
    Al-Hilal (4), Al-Shabab (16)
    Al-Ahli (20)
    20
    5Mukhtar FallatahSaudi Arabia Saudi ArabiaAl-Ittihad (11), Al-Wehda (7)18
    6Léandre Tawamba CameroonAl-Taawoun (12), Al-Tai (2)14
    7Hussam Abu Dawood
    Omar Al-Somah
    Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia
    Syria Syria
    Al-Ahli (12),
    Al-Ahli (12)
    12

    Hat-tricks

    PlayerForAgainstScoreDate
    Saudi Arabia Youssef AnbarOhodAl-Nahda
    4–1
    11 May 1989
    Saudi Arabia Saad Al-HarthiAl-NassrAl-Ahli
    3–0
    5 April 2010
    Brazil Victor SimõesAl-AhliAl-Nassr
    3–1
    9 April 2010
    Saudi Arabia Mukhtar FallatahAl-WehdaAl-Ettifaq
    4–3
    11 January 2011
    Saudi Arabia Nasser Al-ShamraniAl-HilalAl-Faisaly
    3–1
    1 May 2015
    Poland Adrian MierzejewskiAl-NassrDiriyah
    7–0
    20 January 2016
    Nigeria Patrick Friday EzeAl-QadsiahAl-Safa
    4–0
    20 January 2017
    Guinea Ismaël BangouraAl-RaedAl-Jabalain
    3–0
    21 January 2017
    Syria Omar KhribinAl-HilalAl-Taawoun
    4–3
    13 May 2017
    Saudi Arabia Mohammed Al-SaiariAl-EttifaqAl-Tai
    6–0
    3 January 2018
    Morocco Abderrazak HamdallahAl-NassrAl-Jandal
    6–0
    3 January 2019
    Eritrea Ahmed Abdu Jaber4Al-WehdaAl-Nairyah
    6–1
    3 January 2019
    Venezuela Gelmin RivasAl-HilalAl-Dera'a
    9–0
    5 January 2019
    France Bafétimbi Gomis4
    Morocco Abderrazak Hamdallah4Al-NassrAl-Ansar
    5–0
    18 January 2019
    Saudi Arabia Hazaa Al-HazaaAl-EttifaqAl-Amjad
    9–1
    18 January 2019
    Morocco Abderrazak HamdallahAl-NassrAl-Fayha
    6–0
    21 January 2019
    Madagascar Carolus Andriamatsinoro5Al-AdalahAl-Rawdah
    8–0
    5 December 2019
    Morocco Abderrazak HamdallahAl-NassrDamac
    4–2
    24 December 2019
    Saudi Arabia Mohammed Al-KuwaykibiAl-EttifaqOhod
    7–1
    3 January 2020
    Cape Verde Júlio TavaresAl-FaisalyAl-Taawoun
    3–2
    29 May 2021

    See also

    References

    1. ^ "Official SAFF site in English". Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
    2. ^ "بيان: موافقة على تغيير نظامي كأس الملك وولي العهد". TheSAFF.com.sa. 18 September 2013. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
    3. ^ "الهلال "يكسر" تفوق الأهلي.. سجل الأبطال التاريخيين لكأس خادم الحرمين الشريفين". سعودي. 31 August 2025. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
    4. ^ "Saudi Football Federation Unveils Redesigned King's Cup". spa.gov.sa. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
    5. ^ "New King's Cup trophy unveiled in Riyadh". Arab News. 2024-03-14. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
    6. ^ "Storied history of football in Saudi Arabia celebrated through landmark collaboration project". FIFA. 31 August 2025. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
    7. ^ "Saudi Arabia officially documents 123 years of football history". Saudi Gazette. 1 September 2025. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
    8. ^ "AFC President congratulates SAFF on completion of historic football heritage project". Asian Football Confederation. 26 August 2025. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
    • King Cup – SAFF
    • Saudi Arabia – List of Cup Winners, RSSSF.com
    • Champions Cup current season results and dates – Soccerway
    • Saudi Champions Cup – Hailoosport.com (Arabic)
    • Saudi Champions Cup – Hailoosport.com
    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=King%27s_Cup_(Saudi_Arabia)&oldid=1323226579"