Will Cristiano Ronaldo visit India? ACL 2 draw may see Al Nassr face Indian sides

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr will play in the AFC Champions League Two.

Cristiano Ronaldo to play in India? Well, this question is doing the rounds after FC Goa qualified for the group stage AFC Champions League 2. Goa’s qualification means that this season there will be two Indian clubs in the group stage of the competition for the first time. Mohun Bagan Super Giant are the other Indian club in the group stage. They qualified as league shield winners of the Indian Super League.

The draw for the group stage for ACL 2 will take place on August 15, 2025, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 32 teams will feature in the group stage of the competition. Some of the best clubs in Asia will take part in the second-tier continental club competition. Among those is Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr, which boasts of one of the greatest players of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Also Read: FC Goa vs Al Seeb: Impressive new signings, tactical adaptability, injury concerns, and other talking points

Al Nassr in Pot 1 of AFC Champions League Two draw

Before the AFC Champions League group stage, 32 teams have been placed in eight pots for the draw, four for each region. Pot 1 has the most talked-about team in the competition, Al Nassr. Whereas Indian clubs find themselves in Pots 3 and 4. The current ISL champions, Mohun Bagan, are in Pot 3. On the other hand, Kalinga Super Cup champions FC Goa are in Pot 4.

All the groups will have one team from each pot, which means Mohun Bagan or FC Goa may be drawn with Al Nassr in the same group. This is the possibility that has raised the excitement level among Indian Football fans. If Al Nassr are drawn in the same group with either Mohun Bagan or FC Goa, they will have to travel to India to play the away fixture. However, it is not certain whether Cristiano Ronaldo will be travelling with the team or not.

The reports suggest Ronaldo is set to be given rest for a portion of the season to manage his workload in a season that will be capped off by the FIFA World Cup. Looking at the global tournament, Ronaldo is expected to manage his games, which means he might miss some. If that happens, Indian fans won’t be seeing Ronaldo travelling to India for ACL 2 fixtures against Indian clubs.

Opportunity for Indian clubs to attract eyeballs

This season’s ACL 2 gives Indian clubs an opportunity of a lifetime to turn heads. Regardless of whether they are drawn with Al Nassr or not, there are plenty of clubs in the competition that boast a great legacy. With two Indian clubs in the competition, fans would expect an improved performance this time.

Last time Mohun Bagan were knocked out of the competition due to their inability to travel to Iran because of security reasons. This angered the fans as the Mariners were eliminated for reasons not under their control. This season, they have an opportunity to right the wrong and settle the record. If either Mohun Bagan or FC Goa manage to qualify for the knockouts, it will greatly improve India’s coefficient for the AFC club competition.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.