SOCCER
Cristiano Ronaldo alert over Iran clash
Al Nassr will play the next AFC Champions League match against Esteghlal Tehran from Iran, with concerns over safety high.
On October 22, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr, which also includes stars Sadio Mane, Aymeric Laporte and Marcelo Brozovic, were scheduled to visit Tehran (Iran) for the third matchday of the AFC Champions League to face Esteghlal. It was clearly considered a high-risk trip and there was concern within the Saudi club about what might happen.
In the end, the team has avoided the need to travel to the Iranian capital, especially with the escalating conflict involving Israel and the entire region reaching unprecedented levels.
When and where is Esteghlal vs Al Nassr?
The match against Al Nassr will still take place on the same scheduled date, but on neutral ground. The Iranian club has chosen the United Arab Emirates and the city of Dubai as their first option to host the match. If playing in the UAE is not possible, other options such as Oman or Qatar are being considered.
The same situation has arisen for Iran’s national team, which has had to find a neutral location for its October 15 match against Qatar in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Dubai is also the preferred location for this encounter, unless both teams decide to switch the order of the fixtures and play the first match in Qatar instead.