Cristiano Ronaldo begins what he calls his likely last season in football with a bid to win the AFC Champions League after taking part in the competition for the first time. The tournament starts on Monday, and Ronaldo’s Al Nassr is among the Saudi clubs expected to be major contenders.
Across outlets, the central context is that Saudi Arabia’s teams invest heavily and benefit from competition structures that place later rounds in the country. Since the 2024-25 season, the competition is rebranded as the “Champions League Elite,” with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final held in a centralized location in Saudi Arabia, which has helped local sides such as Al Ahli win consecutive titles in 2025 and 2026.
Ronaldo enters with Al Nassr aiming to break the pattern, but the coverage also highlights obstacles and differing angles on the level of threat. Al Hilal is described as a key hurdle and a major spender, while Japan is repeatedly cited as the most likely outside challengers, with Japanese clubs reaching recent finals. Al Nassr’s campaign outlook is linked to Ronaldo’s recent scoring form and the club’s appointment of Ange Postecoglou as coach, along with notable attacking signings. Other Saudi teams—along with Al Ittihad and Al Qadsiah—also feature in this year’s field, reinforcing expectations of Saudi dominance.
