Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr Chase Glory as AFC Champions League Elite Returns

When Cristiano Ronaldo was goaded by Al Ahli Saudi fans about their back-to-back continental titles at the end of last season, he had a ready reply: “I have won five.” His glorious career in Europe includes winning multiple Uefa Champions Leagues with Manchester United and Real Madrid, but he is still yet to win Asia’s version. Maybe this will be his year as the Portuguese superstar returns to the top tier of Asian football with Al Nassr, who begin their AFC Champions League Elite campaign in the UAE on Tuesday night.

The new Champions League Elite competition features an expanded league stage of 32 clubs, which is eight more than the preceding two seasons. This equates to 16 teams each in the Western Region—involving clubs from the UAE (three), Saudi Arabia (five), Qatar (three), Iran (two), Uzbekistan (two) and Iraq (one)—and the same in the east. The sides play eight games each, with the league phase being completed by mid-February, followed by a two-legged round-of-16 fixture between sides within the same region. After that, sides from the east and west are pitted against each other in a centralised finals competition in Saudi Arabia in April, concluding with the final on May 1.

Al Ahli Saudi have won the tournament twice in a row, utilizing home advantage as their matches packed out the 62,000-capacity King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah. However, a hat-trick will be tricky. The coach who masterminded those wins, Matthias Jaissle, has since left for Newcastle United, while vital cogs Riyad Mahrez and Franck Kessie have been released.

While the East has historically won more titles overall (26 compared to 18 for West Asia), the three full seasons since Ronaldo’s arrival have seen the West win each time, driven by the financial might of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Al Ain, the double UAE champions who went through a domestic campaign without losing a league game, will test their credentials immediately when they host Al Nassr at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium on Tuesday evening. Other major threats include Al Hilal, Al Ittihad, and Al Qadsiah under coach Brendan Rodgers.

Al Nassr suffered heartache last season, slumping out of the Elite competition at the semi-final stage and losing to Japan’s Gamba Osaka in the final of the Champions League 2 on home soil in Riyadh, though they did claim the Saudi Pro League title shortly after. Packed with firepower featuring Sadio Gene, Joao Felix, and Kingsley Coman alongside Ronaldo, and managed by Ange Postecoglou, Al Nassr will be aiming for continental success.