FOOTBALL – AN impressive prize fund of BD150,000 is on offer this evening in the final of the 2025-26 His Majesty the King’s Cup – Bahrain’s richest annual football tournament.
The contest will be played between long-time rivals Muharraq and Riffa at the National Stadium in Riffa. It is scheduled for a 5.20pm kick-off, with a large crowd of fans expected to attend in support of both clubs.
The champions will come away with the lion’s share of the winnings of BD100,000, while the runners-up will take home BD50,000, the Bahrain Football Association announced yesterday.
The highly anticipated clash is a re-match of the head-to-head between Muharraq and Riffa in the championship game of the 2026 Khalid bin Hamad Cup, held last February and won by Riffa 8-7 in a thrilling penalty shootout after extra-time ended tied at 1-1.
Both Muharraq and Riffa are also amongst the three remaining contenders for the crown in the 2025-26 Nasser bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League, with Muharraq in second place and Riffa third – both behind leaders Al Khaldiya with only four fixtures remaining this campaign.
Muharraq, the reigning Nasser bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League champions, booked their tickets in tonight’s title-decider after defeating Al Ahli 2-1 in the semi-finals, where Riffa overcame Khaldiya, last year’s HM the King’s Cup winners, 4-3 following a tense penalty shootout after their contest ended deadlocked at 3-3 after extra-time.
Muharraq will be looking to add to their record 33 titles in Bahrain’s most precious football competition. They last won the HM the King’s Cup in the 2019-2020 season and had since made it to the championship match just once – in 2023-24 when they lost to Ahli on penalties.
Riffa will be gunning for their eighth tournament crown – third-best in the kingdom behind Muharraq and Ahli’s nine trophies. They last triumphed in 2020-21 against Ahli.
This year’s HM the King’s Cup tournament featured teams from both the Nasser bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League and the Bahrain First Division. The competition has been held in single-elimination format.
Khaldiya won the 2024-25 edition of the HM the King’s Cup after edging past Sitra 3-2 in the tournament final, played in April of last year.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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