Karim Benzema Penalty Miss Sends Al Hilal Out of AFC Champions League Elite

Al Hilal has been eliminated from the 2025-26 AFC Champions League Elite following a penalty shootout defeat to Qatari side Al Sadd on April 13, 2026. The match, which took place at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, ended in a 3-3 draw after extra time before Al Sadd secured their progression.

The exit was highlighted by a missed decisive penalty from Karim Benzema. With their continental ambitions now extinguished, Al Hilal will shift its full attention to the Saudi Pro League title race against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr.

Match Summary and Scoring

The Round of 16 tie began with Al Hilal taking an early lead in the match. Sergej Milinković-Savić opened the scoring in the 29th minute, giving the Saudi club an initial advantage.

Despite the early lead, Al Sadd remained relentless in their pursuit of equalizers. The contest was described as pulsating, with the two teams never separated by more than a single goal throughout the duration of the game.

After 90 minutes of regulation and a subsequent period of extra time, the score remained level at 3-3, necessitating a penalty shootout to determine which team would advance to the quarterfinals.

Modified Competition Format

The fixture was part of a series of AFC matches in the western region that had been pushed back from March. This rescheduling created a compressed timeline for the remaining fixtures in the competition.

To accommodate the schedule, the AFC implemented a change to the knockout stage format. The remaining ties, which were originally designed as two-legged affairs, were converted into single-match eliminations.

The Penalty Shootout

The shootout began with an early advantage for Al Hilal. Al Sadd’s Roberto Firmino missed the opening spot kick, which placed Al Hilal in a strong position with a 2-1 lead in the shootout.

However, the momentum shifted when Karim Benzema stepped up to take his penalty. Benzema sent his effort over the crossbar while attempting to aim for the top left of the goal.

The situation for the Saudi club deteriorated further when Saimon Bouabre also missed his attempt. Al Sadd successfully converted every one of their remaining penalties, winning the shootout 4-2 and eliminating Al Hilal from the tournament.

Domestic Implications and Season Context

The defeat to Al Sadd ended a significant unbeaten run for Al Hilal. Prior to the match on April 13, 2026, the club had remained undefeated across both the Saudi Pro League and the AFC league phase of the 2025-26 season.

The elimination from the AFC Champions League Elite removes international distractions for the squad. Al Hilal is now positioned to focus exclusively on its domestic campaign.

This shift in focus is expected to have implications for the Saudi Pro League title race. With no more continental fixtures to manage, Al Hilal will concentrate its resources on its competition with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr for the league championship.