Al-Nassr hopes Ronaldo returns for the Asian Champions League Two

Cristiano Ronaldo is yet to win a major trophy since arriving in Saudi Arabia, and Al-Nassr will be hoping the 41-year-old Portuguese star returns to action on Wednesday to help the Riyadh club move closer to victory.

Al-Nassr will take on Turkmenistan’s Arkadag with a place in the quarter-finals of the Asian Champions League Two at stake.

Ronaldo has not played any role in Al-Nassr’s most recent two matches in the Saudi Pro League, amid reports that he was unhappy with the way the club is financed, especially after watching rival Al-Hilal sign Karim Benzema last month.

Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli are all majority-owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund.

In a statement, the SPL outlined that no player is bigger than the club or the league.

“The Saudi Pro League is structured around a simple principle: each club operates independently and according to the same rules,” the league said. “Cristiano has been fully involved with Al-Nassr since his arrival and has played an important role in the club’s growth and ambition. But no individual – no matter how important – drives decisions outside their own club.”

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Despite the absence of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, Al-Nassr defeated reigning champions Al-Ittihad 2-0 on Friday.

Ittihad is the only one of the three Saudi teams in the AFC Champions League Elite not to have secured a place in the round of 16, with two group matches remaining.

Despite losing star striker Karim Benzema last week to Al-Hilal, which has a history of high-profile signings including Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023, Ittihad will progress to the next round if it beats Qatar’s Al-Gharafa on Tuesday.

The top eight in each of the tournament’s two groups of 12 teams – geographically divided into East and West Asia – will qualify for the second round.

Al-Ahli, which won its first Champions League title in May, is also assured of a place in the knockout phase.

In the eastern zone, only Vissel Kobe has qualified, but Japan will have three teams in the round of 16 if both Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Machida Zelvia win this week pdf view.

The pressure is on the three representatives of China, who occupy the bottom three positions.

Chinese champion Shanghai Port is in last place and on the verge of being kicked out of the tournament. Wins for Chengdu Rongcheng and Shanghai Shenhua would keep both teams in contention.

Published on February 10, 2026