Saudi King's Cup Quarterfinals Set: Eight Teams Vie for Glory as Dates Are Announced

Quarterfinal lineup and schedule

The Saudi Football Federation officially confirmed the King’s Cup quarterfinals for the 2025-2026 season. The eight clubs stepping into the knockout phase are Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, Al-Fath, Al-Kholoud, Al-Ahli, Al-Qadisiyah, Al-Shabab, and Al-Khaleej. Here are the matchups, venues, and kick-off times that will light up this weekend of high-stakes football.

Friday, 28 November 2025

Al-Kholoud vs Al-Khaleej — 17:50 — Al-Hazm Stadium, Al-Rass

Al-Ahli vs Al-Qadisiyah — 20:30 — Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium, Jeddah

Saturday, 29 November 2025

Al-Hilal vs Al-Fath — 17:40 — Kingdom Arena, Riyadh

Al-Ittihad vs Al-Shabab — 20:30 — Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium, Jeddah

The matchup list reflects a blend of traditional powerhouses and hungry upstarts, all aiming to lift the trophy and seal a place in Asian competition glory. A weekend of tense football awaits, wrapped in a rivalry narrative that Saudi audiences know all too well.

Context, stakes and recent form

Al-Ittihad are the defending champions after a 3-1 final win over Al-Qadisiyah last season, giving them a sixth King’s Cup triumph. The competition’s all-time leaders remain Al-Hilal with nine titles, while Al-Ahli sit on eight and Al-Nasr on five.

In this year’s run to the quarterfinals, Al-Ahli reached this stage after a 3-0 win against Al-Batin, while Al-Qadisiyah boasted last season’s runner-up status by reaching the knockout rounds again. Al-Kholoud advanced by beating Al-Najma, and Al-Khaleej needed penalties to overcome Al-T-Cooperation in a very evenly matched tie, underscoring the depth of this edition.

Al-Hilal’s path to the last eight came after a win over Al-Akhdoud, while Al-Fath eliminated Abha to secure their spot. The other cross-town clash sees Al-Ittihad eliminate Al-Nasr 2-1 away from home, a result highlighted by Karim Benzema’s goal at 15 minutes and H. Ouarr’s counter at 45+2, with Angelo Gabriel replying for Nasr at the half-hour mark. Al-Shabab had earlier overcome Al-Zulfi 1-0 to join the party.

Historically, Al-Ittihad holds the upper hand in King’s Cup quarterfinals against Al-Shabab, with head-to-head matchups dating back to the competition’s early years in 1957. The side has claimed victories in 1981, 2018, and a few others since, making this quarterfinals tie a potential march toward another deep cup run.

Prize money remains a strong incentive: 10 million Saudi riyals for the champions and 5 million for the runners-up. The club’s leadership reportedly poured 60% of the winner’s prize into bonuses for players and staff, the same share as the previous title-winning campaign. This reinforces the double motivator of domestic silverware and personal rewards for a victory-filled season.

Coach Sérgio Conceição has urged his squad to keep celebrations in check and stay focused on forthcoming league fixtures and Asia’s elite competition. The team travels to face Al-Ahli in a high-profile league clash on the calendar, keeping the team’s eyes firmly on both domestic and continental targets.

Away from the cup, Al-Ittihad’s recent form against the arch-rivals highlights a strong away record and a desire to maintain dominance in both domestic cups and the broader calendar. The club’s ambition includes defending their league title and challenging for the AFC Champions League, even if the start to that campaign has been mixed.

In short, the quarterfinals promise a weekend of drama, balance, and sharp football as eight clubs chase a coveted trophy and a path into bigger honors. After the final whistle, expect the usual mix of pride, pressure, and a few jokes to lighten the tension—because if football is war, the jokes are our squad’s camouflage.

Punchline time: If a sniper tells a joke in the box but scores a goal, is it still a hit? Either way, the crowd will be on target, and so will the punchlines—consider me your harmless, humor-aimed sidekick with a license to deliver micro-snipes of wit after every whistle.