| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | Saudi Arabia |
| Dates | 30 March – 15 April 1988 |
| Teams | 14 |
| Defending champions | Al-Nassr |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Al-Ittihad(6th title) |
| Runner-up | Al-Ettifaq |
| Arab Cup Winners' Cup | Al-Ittihad |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 13 |
| Goals scored | 33 (2.54 per match) |
| Top goal scorer(s) | Saleh Al-Najrani (4 goals) |
The1988King Cup was the 30th season of the knockout competition since its establishment in 1956.Al-Nassr were the defending champions but they were eliminated by eventual championsAl-Ittihad in the semi-finals.[1]
Al-Ittihad won their 6th title after defeatingAl-Ettifaq 1–0 in the final.[2][3] This was the first final to be held in theKing Fahd International Stadium.[4] As winners of the tournament, Al-Ittihad qualified for the1989 Arab Cup Winners' Cup.
Both Al-Ettifaq and Ohod received a bye to the next round. Al-Ettifaq received due to their participation in the1988 Gulf Club Champions Cup. Ohod received a bye to the lack of teams participating in this round.[5] The matches of the Round of 16 were held on 31 March and 1 April 1988.[6][7]
| Home team | Score | Away team |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Ettifaq | Bye | |
| Ohod | Bye | |
| Al-Ahli | 3–3 (2–3pen.) | Al-Riyadh |
| Al-Ittihad | 1–0 | Al-Qadsiah |
| Al-Tai | 0–1 | Al-Nahda |
| Al-Kawkab | 0–2 | Al-Wehda |
| Al-Tuhami | 2–2 (3–4pen.) | Al-Shabab |
| Al-Nassr | 1–0 | Al-Hilal |
The matches of the Quarter-finals were held on 7 and 8 April 1988.[8][9][10]
| Home team | Score | Away team |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Nassr | 4–0 | Ohod |
| Al-Riyadh | 1–3 | Al-Shabab |
| Al-Ettifaq | 1–0 (aet) | Al-Wehda |
| Al-Nahda | 0–4 | Al-Ittihad |
The four winners of the quarter-finals progressed to the semi-finals. The semi-finals were played on 12 April 1988. All times are local,AST (UTC+3).
| Al-Shabab | 0–2 | Al-Ettifaq |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Omar 30'Hamood 89' |
| Al-Nassr | 1–1 (a.e.t.) | Al-Ittihad |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Bishi 71' | Report | Al-Suwaiyed 40' |
| Penalties | ||
| 1–4 | ||
The final was played between Al-Ittihad and Al-Ettifaq in the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh.[11] Al-Ittihad were appearing in their 11th final while Al-Ettifaq were making their 6th appearance.
| Al-Ittihad | 1–0 | Al-Ettifaq |
|---|---|---|
| Jamil 29' | Report |
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Saleh Al-Najrani | Al-Riyadh | 4 |
| 2 | Bassem Abu Dawood | Al-Ahli | 2 |
| Majed Abdullah | Al-Nassr | ||
| Salah Al-Muwallad | Al-Ittihad | ||
| Mohamed Al-Suwaiyed | Al-Ittihad |
