Will Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr face Indian Super League champions Mohun Bagan in AFC Champions League? Possibility explained
Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr could play Indian Super League winners Mohun Bagan in the AFC Champions League. The intriguing match-up could happen in the AFC Champions League Two, the second tier of Asian club football's continental competition.
While Bagan have booked their place in the competition by winning the ISL, Ronaldo and Co. could join them if they fail to finish in the top-two of the Saudi Pro League.
Currently fourth in the standings, trailing third-placed Al-Qadsiyah by a point, Stefano Pioli's side are set to finish outside the top-two, with a game left in the regular season. They cannot finish in the top two, having finished there in the last two campaigns.
Mohun Bagan will play in the group stage from the West region, where Ronaldo and Co. are set to join them in the AFC Champions League Two's upcoming edition.
This season, the Knights of Najd fell 3-2 in the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League to Kawasaki Frontale, who lost 2-0 to Al-Ahli in the final earlier this season.
How has Cristiano Ronaldo fared for Al-Nassr this season?
Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo has had a decent second full season with the Saudi Pro League giants. Having arrived in December 2022 on a free transfer, the 40-year-old has built on his fabulous 2023-24 season.
After notching up 44 strikes last campaign - including a record 36 strikes in the Saudi Pro League - in his first full season in Saudi Arabia, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is up to 34 strikes and four assists across competitions this season.
Although Ronaldo has notched up 24 goals and three assists in the league, his side's fortunes in the competition have nosedived. Failure in the continent and other domestic competitions means the Portugal captain is without any competitive silverware in the Kingdom.
Having gone without silverware in his underwhelming second stint at his former side Manchester United, Ronaldo last won a competitive title with Juventus four years ago when they won the Coppa Italia.